Missing in Photographs
by Jayne Leigh
Summary: What if there was another girl Charles was determined to look after and protect after Elvis' death.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I couldn't resist writing this any longer. Especially after this week's episode. I am firmly in CJ/Molly camp but I can accept them splitting up…it happens… I think I could even accept CJ / Georgie if it was written right but it's come out of no where for me.**

 **A friend who hasn't actually watch s1 did say she wondered whether CJ and Georgie would get together after watching s2…and yes, there were some scenes where they seemed to bond and develop a friendship…if they had developed that, it would have been more believable.**

 **They knew Elvis was being killed off at the beginning of s3… They should have started CJ and Georgie bonding in Nepal. CJ was already struggling then and it would have been more believable if he had confided in her about problems with Molly…Plus that Milan guy was pretty pointless…They could have even done without Bones' character…If they wanted to get Georgie and CJ together, I wish they had concentrated on developing their characters more. I read some comments that CJ needed to get with Georgie otherwise he wouldn't have much of a storyline going on…they could have centered his storyline on struggling with PTSD and Georgie didn't need another love story, 6 months after Elvis dying and sleeping with Milan.**

 **I suppose we do have 2 more episodes left, so who knows what will happen. CJ seems more like the bossman we know in the last episode but I hope they don't just forget about the PTSD storyline now.**

 **Anyway, this story… My version of one way things could have gone…Don't worry, I've not given up on my other story. I'm hoping that will be updated very soon!**

 **Missing in Photographs**

Georgie paused on the doorstep, thinking twice about ringing the bell. She wasn't even sure if she should have come; she was probably crossing a line but she didn't know what else to do.

Her family didn't understand what she was going through and she felt so helpless with Elvis' family and in the way while they tried to plan his funeral. His parents had requested one thing from the army but it was turned down. She thought if she came here she might be able to help them…And she knew it was something Elvis would want.

She pressed the bell before she could change her mind again and waited nervously; she was doing this for Elvis, she told herself.

The door opened and revealed a surprised looking Molly James.

"Georgie? Hi…"

"Hi." Georgie smiled weakly. "Sorry, I should have called but…"

"No, its fine…It's nice to see you." Molly stepped aside and opened the door widely. "Come in."

Georgie entered the house and followed Molly down the hall way towards the kitchen. She glanced around; it wasn't exactly what she expected Captain James' home to look like. She always imagined he'd live in something trendy, all sleek and simple with everything tided away, out of sight. Although, the décor and furniture was modern it was every inch a family home, warm and cozy. There were shoes littering the hallway, all different sizes and coats and jackets overflowing on the pegs.

Georgie realized it was the perfect mix of Captain James and Molly. She felt a stab of jealousy; Elvis and she will never have this.

As she followed Molly down the hallway towards the kitchen, she glanced into the living room to see that it looked like a bomb had gone off in a toyshop. Toys were scattered all over the place but what surprised Georgie was that along with cars and superhero action figures there was also a Disney princess castle. She frowned, she was sure the boss only had a son from his first marriage.

"Would you like a drink?" Molly offered, opening the fridge. "Tea, coffee…We have orange juice and lemonade…There's some wine…I think we have some vodka in the freezer too."

Georgie smiled. "Tempting but I think it's a bit early for that…A tea would be good though."

"Grab a seat." Molly nodded to the kitchen table as she picked up the kettle. "Milk, sugar?"

"Just milk, ta…" Georgie sat down, casting her eye around the room and couldn't help but smile when she spotted the coffee machine. She remembered when Elvis had been trying to convince her to go out with him; she had made a comment about him being a stuck up officer and he had claimed he wasn't as bad as his best friend who had his coffee machine shipped out to him on tour. She hadn't believed him at first.

"So, how have you been?" Molly asked as she put the biscuit tin on the table before returning to the counter to finish making the tea. "I was going to call but I had a feeling everyone would be calling and I didn't want to hound you…"

"You weren't wrong…" Georgie gave her a small smile. "I know everyone means well but it gets a bit much sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah…" Molly placed a mug in front of her before taking a seat opposite. "I know it's not the same but when Charles got shot…those few weeks not knowing whether he was alive… It felt like the world had stopped for me but continued for everyone else…"

"Yeah, that's a pretty good description…" Georgie pulled apart a custard cream. "And most days I don't know whether I want to try and catch up with everyone else or just stand still and let them carry on without me."

"Are you talking to anyone?" Molly asked gently.

"I didn't want to…but the army is making me." She replied. "Says I have to before I'm allowed back to work…Going to spend some time at Preston for the time being…"

"That's good…staying close to home."

Georgie let out a laugh. "Yeah, well let's see if I'm still saying that after a few more weeks."

"Your family driving you insane?"

"They just don't understand…and I can't really blame them…They didn't have the best opinion of Elvis and then I went on tour, come back with the news that he was dead and I had gotten engage to him again hours before." Georgie sipped her tea.

"I still can't really believe it…He always seemed bullet proof." Molly said quietly. "When Charles told me…I thought…I thought he was winding me up…If it wasn't a skype call and I couldn't see the devastation on his face…I would have been expecting Elvis to sneak into the house and scare the bleedin life out of me."

"That sounds like something he would do…" Georgie smiled sadly. "Speaking of the boss…Is he around?"

"He's taken the kids to the park…trying to get them to burn off some energy…" Molly answered glancing at her watch. "They should be back soon though…"

"Kids?" Georgie repeated. "You two didn't have a baby and forget to tell the rest of us, did you?"

Molly snorted. "Like we'd be able to keep anything a secret from 2 section…Nah, we have both Sam and Laura this weekend…"

"Who's Laura?" Georgie questioned before her brain caught up. "Laura? Elvis' Laura?"

"Yeah…"

"You're looking after her for the weekend?"

"She spends quite a bit of time here, actually…" Molly said, frowning a little. "You didn't know?"

"Elvis and I never really talked much about her…" She replied quietly.

"He struggled with looking after her at first on his own…you know how close him and Charles are, so when it was his turn to have her, they would stay with Charles…" Molly explained, still not used to talking about Elvis in the past tense. "Even when we got married and moved here, they moved with us….Charles absolutely adores her and Sam thinks of her like a little sister…We all got used to them being here..."

"I thought Elvis lived in London?"

"He did when he didn't have Laura…but Debs doesn't live far from here and it made sense not to cart her all the way to his place." Molly answered. "Debs, she tries but she didn't have the best time after Laura was born…She had post-partum depression and she wanted to move back up north to be closer to her family so they could help out with Laura but it would have meant Elvis would hardly get chance to see her… So, we came up with an arrangement that we would still have her here twice a week and every other weekend even if Elvis was on tour...We have Sam every weekend anyway and now I'm working at the hospital, it meant at least one of us was always here to take care of them, so Debs agreed to stay."

"I never knew…" Georgie shook her head.

"I'm guessing Charles never mentioned it…"

"No, when I first joined 2 section, I was pretty clear with him that I didn't want to hear anything about Elvis…I guess, he was just respecting my wishes…" Georgie would give anything to go back and hear her captain out every time he tried to talk about Elvis…Maybe she would have forgiven him sooner…Maybe everything would have turned out differently. "I saw photos of you and the boss with a little girl on Facebook…I always assumed it was one of your sisters or a niece or something…"

"I'm sorry…Maybe I should have said something…"

Georgie shook her head. "No, why would you? You were just helping out your friend and his kid….and it's not as if we spend a lot of time together… If it wasn't for social media we would know next to nothing about each other's lives…"

"I'm still sorry…"

They both fell silent for a moment, sipping their teas as a distraction.

"How is she doing?" Georgie asked hesitantly. "I mean, she's what 5, 6? She must be finding it hard…"

"She is 4…5 in two months…" Molly replied. "She is having a hard time…she doesn't really understand…"

"She's not the only one…"

"She spent the last weeks with us…Debs was having trouble dealing with her and Charles seems to be the only one she'll settle for….plus, I think having her close is helping him." Molly told her. "But it's hard to… she's terrified every time she's can't see him… Worried what happened to her Dad will happen to him too…"

"God… How is it fair? She's only 4…she shouldn't have to be dealing with that."

"No." Molly agreed. "But hopefully with time, she'll get better…We're going to try and get her to see a specialist…someone who deals with kids going through grief…"

"You are? What about her Mum?"

"Like I said, Debs struggles…She tries but…" Molly trailed off and stared down into her tea, frowning a little. "Charles likes having her here…we all do but I sometimes think, he's so busy trying to deal with her grief that he's forgetting his own…"

"Well…He's the Bossman…That's his job, isn't it?" Georgie struggled with what to say. "He takes care of other people…it's what makes him a good captain."

Molly wanted to scream at her that he was only human…She knew he was strong…He was loyal …he was a rock for more people than either of them probably realized but they didn't know the toll it was taking on her husband. The guilt he felt for letting so many people down. The pressure he put on himself to fix everything. The pain he felt he deserved to live with.

"Moll?" Georgie looked at her in concern when she fell silent.

Molly wanted to confide in someone how much her husband was struggling and how hard she was finding it to help him but despite Georgie being a mate, she was also aware Charles was her commanding officer. She couldn't betray him like that. So instead she reached into the biscuit tin, taking one and then offered the tin to Georgie.

"Thanks." Georgie smiled and took another custard cream.

Molly looked at her watch. "I wonder where they've gotten too…I hope the kids haven't tricked him into taking them to McDonalds."

Georgie laughed lightly. "I can't imagine anyone tricking the boss into doing anything…or him even eating in McDonalds for that matter."

"You'll be surprised at what those two can get him to do when they team up…" Molly smiled. "Just don't tell 2 section…"

Molly couldn't help but think back to when she met Sam properly. She had already known she loved him before that day; if she was honest, she loved him before she even knew he was a Dad but watching him with Sam had made her fall for him even more. He was a great Dad and Molly had always found that side of him very attractive. Then the day, she got to his place and found him asleep with a 4 month old, Laura sleeping on his chest. Apparently Elvis had turned up in a state because Laura would not stop crying. That had been the day that Charles had found out why Elvis had stood Georgie up and it was the first time Molly had met Elvis.

"Well, I won't keep you long…" Georgie broke her train of thought. "There was just something I wanted to ask the boss?"

"Oh? Anything I can help with?"

"Nah, I don't think so...I wanted to speak to him about Elvis' funeral." Georgie replied. "I've been helping his parents sort it and when they spoke with the army about the service…they asked if Captain James would speak…"

"Georgie…" Molly sighed but the other medic kept talking.

"I know he wasn't Elvis' commanding officer or anything but I really think Elvis would prefer him to some officer who has to read from a paper because he hardly knew him…" Georgie stated. "The army said no but I think if the boss speaks with them…asked to do it…"

"Georgie," Molly cut in again, shaking her head. "Please don't ask him."

"What?"

"They asked him and it was him who said no."

"But why?" Georgie asked confused. "They were best friends…"

"Because he doesn't know what to say…Because he's going to have to go there and be a Captain…2 section will be there and the guys from Special Forces… He's going to want to stay strong for them…Plus, Elvis parents want Laura to come and well, I can't see Debs taking her and if Laura goes then Sam wants to go…He wants to say goodbye to Elvis…" Molly tried to explain. "I'm sorry but please don't ask him because if you do, he might agree and I'm worried it'll be too much to ask him to stand up and speak about his best friend…especially since he's hasn't really accepted his actually gone…"

Georgie didn't know what to say. She thought this would have been easy for her to fix. That Molly and the boss would have jumped at the chance to help he do something for Elvis. She hadn't considered just how much the boss would have been affected by what happened.

"I'm sorry, Georgie." Molly said quietly, reaching over and squeezing her hand. "You understand, right?"

She nodded slightly in reply but before she could say anything, they heard the front door open and the sound of little feet running down the hall.

A little boy appeared who was unmistakably Captain James' son. Georgie remembered when she and Elvis had first gotten engaged and they had talked about having kids. He had told her all about Sam and she could tell he adored his godson.

"Molly…" He whispered and ran over to her. "We brought you back an ice cream."

"Ice cream! Thanks mate." She took the slightly soften cornetto. "Why are you whispering?"

"Laura fell asleep…" He replied and glancing over at Georgie when he realized there was someone else in the room.

"Sam, this is Georgie." Molly introduced her. "She's a friend of Daddy and me."

Sam looked from her, back to the ice cream in Molly's hand before reaching up and rubbing his forehead, in concern. "We only brought back one ice cream…"

Georgie couldn't help but laugh; he looked like a mini Captain James. "Don't worry about me…I'll just eat all your custard creams…"

Sam grinned widely at her. "They're Daddy's favorite."

"Sam, can you put this in the freezer for me? I think I might have to save it until after dinner." Molly handed him back the ice cream as she stood up from the table after hearing the front door close again.

"Okay…" He shrugged. "Can I have a drink, please?"

"Sure, help yourself…" Molly ruffled his hair before looking at Georgie. "Excuse me a moment…"

Georgie watched her leave the kitchen and after a second, she stood up herself and moved to the door. She caught a glimpse of Charles walking into the living room with a small girl with long dark, curly hair in his arms. She moved a little further down the hallway so she could see into the room, watching as Charles led Laura down on the couch and taking a blanket from Molly to cover her before placing a small brown stuffed dog under her arm.

"I thought you were going to try and get her to stay awake so she slept tonight." Molly said quietly, as Charles kissed the child's forehead and stood up.

"I was giving her a piggy back home and she was asleep before I realized…" He answered. "I didn't have the heart to wake her…I think she only got about 2 hours last night…I'll wake her a bit but a quick nap won't hurt."

Molly's main concern was that while Laura was up all night and spent time napping during the day, Charles got close to no sleep. Molly also struggled to sleep when she knew they were awake which meant now they were nearing the end of the week, they were all exhausted bar Sam who was still a bundle of energy.

"You got ice cream all down your back…" Molly commented. "At least I hope its ice cream."

"She fell asleep while eating it…just shows how tired she was." Charles replied, twisting his head to try and look at how bad it was. "That chocolate stain is going to be hard to get out…This shirt is one of my favorites."

"I keep telling you to stop wearing your designer crap when you're with the kids…" She said, leading him out the room. "Kids and nice clothes don't mix."

"All my clothes are nice…I can't help it if I have good fashion sense." He quipped, placing both his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently as he followed her out.

Georgie felt another pang of jealousy as she listened to them. They were obviously going through a tough time after losing Elvis and dealing with Laura but at least they had each other.

Molly suddenly remembered Georgie was there when she saw her stood in the kitchen doorway.

"Look who's popped in for a cup of tea…" Molly glanced back at him before smiling towards Georgie.

"Lane?" He looked at her in surprise.

"Hey, Bossman." Georgie greeted. "Sorry for not calling first…"

"It's no problem." Charles assured her. "Is everything okay?"

"I just wanted to…" Georgie caught sight of Molly staring at her and tried to quickly think of a reason for her being there. "I was in the area and thought I check on how you were all doing…"

Charles looked between the two women, knowing there was more to it than that.

"She's been eating all your custard creams, Dad…" Sam supplied.

Charles raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Careful, Lane…Could put you up on a charge for that."

"Don't worry, he's not serious." Sam told her. "He's always threatening to put Molly up on a charge but she still doesn't listen to him."

"Alright, Scamp…Try not to give away all my secrets." Charles ran a hand through his son's hair, causing him to look up at him and grin. "Can you do me a favor? Run upstairs and get me a clean shirt."

"Okay." Sam immediately took off running, leaving just the three of them in the kitchen.

Charles moved over to the counter, picking up the bottle of milk that Sam had left out and went to put it back in the fridge.

"Damn it."

"What?" Molly looked over at him.

"Forgot to get more milk…" He held up the near empty bottle.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Meaning the only thing you went in the shop for was milk but let the kids distract you with ice cream…Remind me again, who's meant to be the tough, badass army captain in this relationship?"

"Remind me who's going to be all moody because they can't have a cup of tea and a bowl of coco pops in the morning…" He shot back, fighting a smile.

"Well, I guess it's me who's heading for the shops then, innit."

"I can go…" He offered, automatically.

"No, no, I don't mind…" Molly assured him. "Plus, she'll scream blue bloody murder if she wakes up and you've gone out without her."

"Can I come too?" Sam asked as he reentered the room, handing his Dad a t-shirt.

"Yeah, sure, Mate if you want."

"No more begging for sweets or chocolate…" Charles told him.

"Yeah, I'm not a soft touch like your Dad." Molly added, poking her tongue out at her husband and then ran out the room. "Come on, Sam…I'll race ya…"

Charles watched them go, shaking his head but couldn't help but laugh. Georgie felt like she was intruding on a family moment. The two of them teasing each other and taking care of their kids.

"Sorry about that…" Charles looked across at her. "Let me get this shirt in the wash then I'll make you another cup of tea."

"I can make it." Georgie told him, picking up her mug and poured the cold remains of her first cup down the sink before reaching to fill the kettle up. "Want one?"

"Coffee, please." He answered, unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it in the washing machine. Seeing there were clothes already in there waiting to be washed, he poured in some washing powder and comforter before starting the cycle.

Georgie watched him as she waited for the kettle to boil. She wasn't in the habit of checking out Captain James but before he pulled on a clean t-shirt, she could tell he had lost weight in the time since the beginning of their latest tour. Taking a closer look, she noticed his hair was longer than normal and he was in need of a shave to comply with army regulation. She wondered if he would look even more tired than he already did without the beard.

"What? Is this stained too?" Charles questioned, looking down at himself when he noticed Georgie staring at him.

Georgie snapped back to paying attention. "Sorry, boss…just wondering if you are actually going to trust me enough to make you a coffee…I know how you are…"

"How I am? Not calling me a coffee snob, are you, Lane?" He asked amused. "You've been listening too much to Molly and El…"

He trailed off and they both tensed; knowing what he was going to say. Georgie turned back to making her tea, trying to blink away the tears before they started to fall.

"You know I didn't believe him when he first told me you took your coffee machine on tour with you…" Georgie forced herself to turn back to her captain and offered him a smile.

"I didn't always take it…" He replied rolling his eyes, sounding slightly defensive; Molly and Elvis always teased him about it. "Just when I'm in one place for a long time…I didn't take it to Kenya or Nepal."

Georgie let out a small laugh. "I remember not long after we got to Kenya, I came to see you about something but all I could think about was that I couldn't see the coffee machine… I was convinced he had been winding me up all along…So stupid now, I was so angry at him for such stupid things…"

Charles shook his head slightly. "Yeah, well he did a lot of stupid things for you to be mad about… and he knew it, Georgie…He knew he screwed up...Elvis was the type of guy that never had any regrets…He knew he made mistakes but he'd do what he would to fix them or accept them then move on…but that day he didn't turn up…he regretted that and it was never going to be something he'd move on from."

"I just wished we hadn't wasted so much time…" She whispered.

"You and Elvis sorted things out in the end…You were together again…knew how much you meant to each other…that's the main thing." Charles said softly. "The last thing he would want is you torturing yourself."

"Thanks, Boss…"

"Now, you going to tell me the real reason you're here?"

"Like, I said I was in the area with some friends…Coming here gave me an excuse to leave early…"

Charles raised an eyebrow. "You're not lying to your Captain, are you, Lane?"

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about but it doesn't matter now… It's sorted."

"Which means you mentioned it to Molly and she vetoed it." He guessed. "What is it?"

"It's fine, really, boss…"

"Spit it out, Lane…"

Georgie sighed, knowing he wasn't going to give up. She thought about what Molly said about him struggling but she couldn't help but wonder if doing this favor for Elvis' family would help him. Plus, he seemed a lot stronger to Georgie then Molly had said.

"I was helping Elvis' parents with his funeral." She stated. "They wanted you to speak."

"Ah…"

"You were his best friend…"

"Georgie, I'm sorry…I don't think I can…"

"No one knows him better then you." She continued. "And it would mean a lot to his parents…and to me…"

"I should have called them myself when the Brig asked me…explained why I couldn't."

"Please, boss…"

"I wouldn't know what to say….or how to even begin to say it."

"All that stuff you just said…about him not having regrets…the stories of the two of you…"

"Georgie…I can't." He cut in.

She stared at him for a moment before making one last attempt. "He'd want you to do it, boss."

He sighed and made his way over to the table and took a seat. "No, he wouldn't…"

"But…"

"A few years back…The first time I lost a man in my command was when I was on my 3rd tour of Afghan…Geraint Smith…he got shot in the neck and I crawled to him on my belly to retrieve him but there was nothing anyone could do… As his commanding officer I was asked to speak at his funeral…I thought it was the least I could do." He stared a head as he spoke. "But I couldn't find the right words…and I spent days and sleepless nights going through book after book…Elvis was there with me throughout…trying to be helpful but as he kept reminding me, poetry wasn't really his thing…"

Georgie smiled at that; she couldn't imagine Elvis willingly reading poems. She crossed the room and sat opposite him.

"Then my next tour…when I met Molly….Geraint's twin brother was under my command….Smurf." Charles continued. "He died too…Collapsed once we were home from a bleed to the brain…"

Georgie had heard a lot about Smurf from the lads in 2 section.

"This time I settled on reading the same thing I read at Geraint's funeral…Smurf had liked it." Charles told her. "After the service, his Mum had been upset…I knew she blamed me…both of her sons taken when I should have been taking care of them…then Molly told me she was going back on tour…and I wanted her to go …I knew she needed to go but when she left me stood alone in that church, I was terrified I'd never see her again."

"It must have been tough…"

"It was…" He nodded. "But then I turned around and sat at the back off the church was Elvis…He didn't know Smurf but he was there for me…Just like he always was…And we just sat there for what seemed like hours then he turned to me and said…"

"What?" Georgie frowned as he trailed off.

"He said if he ends up kicking the bucket then he didn't want me to do a reading…" He told her. "Said he didn't need me to stand up in front of everyone trying to find the right words… It wasn't long before that, that I had been shipped back to the UK in a critical condition…He said he'd follow me into the afterlife to kick my ass if I ever put him in that position…I just laughed and told him even though he was a mad bastard, he was also a lucky one…that nothing would happen to him…I truly believed that."

"I'm sorry…" Georgie reached over, covering his hand with hers. "I should have listened to Molly and not said anything."

"She's my own personal medic…" He gave her a smile. "Always looking out for me."

"Just make sure you let her." Georgie told him. "I know you're good at being the one in charge but sometimes you need to step back and let someone else care for you."

"I'm going to try."

Georgie squeezed his hand once more before sitting back in her chair and picking up her tea.

"Can I tell you something?" Charles asked quietly, staring down at the table.

"Sure."

"I'm mad at him." He admitted. "I'm mad he's gone and left us all behind…that because he's gone Laura can't go more than two hours without waking up screaming…that Sam is a bit more serious…anxious…I'm mad that Molly is watching every move I make…that she's trying to act strong but I know she misses him too….I'm mad that two days ago, I called his mobile to ask if he wanted to come watch a Bath game with Sam and me and it wasn't until his voicemail kicked in that I remembered he was never going to answer…I'm mad that he finally managed to sort things out with you and then went and got himself killed…"

He suddenly pushed himself to his feet, his hands raking through his hair as he walked half way across the room before turning back.

"But you know what I'm really fucking mad about? It was my fault…" His eyes shining with tears. "The decisions I made…"

"No." Georgie shook her head.

"I trusted Azizi…"

"Boss…"

"If it wasn't for me…If I hadn't…"

"You might have missed something being off with Azizi…but boss, you're only human…You thought he was your friend." Georgie stood up and moved closer to him. "But that second mission…Elvis, he knew the risk…he was the one who told us all to look out for IEDs… you can't take the blame for this….and he wouldn't want you to."

He stood, staring back at her with his hands on his hips before nodding his head slightly in the direction of the hallway.

"What do I tell her when she's older and wants to know what really happened to him?" He asked quietly.

"You tell her he died being a hero." Georgie answered. "That he didn't suffer and two of the most important people in the world were there with him."

"I didn't know Harry Kane was there…" Charles quipped after a brief pause.

Georgie let out a laugh and shaking her head at him slightly before turning serious again. "Boss? Have you been speaking with someone…?"

Charles opened his mouth to reply but before he could there was a cry from the living room and he immediately left the kitchen quickly. Georgie followed at a slower pace, leaning against the doorframe as she watched Charles pull Laura onto his lap.

"Hey, gorgeous girl…" He pushed her hair away from her face as she grabbed onto the collar of his t-shirt and laying her head against his chest. "Did you have a nice nap?"

If she didn't know better, Georgie would think she was watching a sweet father / daughter moment. Her heart ached; she wished she had the chance to see how Elvis had been with Laura.

Laura nodded sleepily with a yawn, blinking a couple of times before her eyes fell on Georgie.

Charles followed the little girl's eye line and smile.

"Laura, this is a friend of mine, Georgie…and was a friend of your Daddy's too." Charles told her. "Georgie, this is Laura Elizabeth Harte."

"Hi…" Georgie stepped fully into the room and held up a hand, giving Laura a little wave.

Laura looked up at Charles. "She's the lady from the pictures."

"Pictures?" Georgie looked questionably at him.

"There are some photographs of you in Elvis' bedroom." Charles explained.

"Ah."

"Want to see?" Laura jumped off Charles' lap and held her hand out to take Georgie's.

She looked at Charles, who gave her a small smile letting her know it was fine with him.

"Okay, sure." Georgie replied to Laura.

"I'll show you." Laura told her and pulled her out of the room and up the stairs, with Charles following.

The second they stepped into the room, Georgie was overwhelmed with the sense of Elvis. From his clothes to the smell of his aftershave.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked around. Reaching out and touching a maroon colored hoodie that had been thrown over the back of a chair. She remembered when he brought it…They had gone to Blackpool for the day and when they had left Manchester, it had been blue skies and warm so he only wore shorts and a t-shirt. By lunchtime, it was pouring with rain with a bitter cold wind. He had to buy it to keep dry and warm.

"We haven't sorted through his things yet…" Charles said from the door. "I don't know when we will but if there's anything you want…"

"Can I take this?" She held up the hoodie.

Charles nodded. "Of course."

Georgie hugged it too herself as she moved around the room, stopping at the window, surprised to see a telescope there.

"Didn't know he was interested in stargazing…"

"Uncle Charlie brought that for me…It's so I can look up at the stars when I'm telling Daddy about my day and saying goodnight." Laura explained; she now had a collection of photo frames on the bed and was pulling a thick album from the side table.

Georgie's heart broke a little bit more; Laura had said that as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I got them all ready." The little girl announced, completely unaware.

Georgie swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile before joining her on the bed. "Okay, let me have a look."

"Will you two be okay if I go downstairs? Get a start on the cleaning up before Molly gets back?" He asked them after a few minutes of watching them.

"Sure, Boss." Georgie replied after looking down at Laura to see she didn't seem bothered by being left alone with her.

"Shout if you need anything." He told them before disappearing out the room.

Georgie had always loved looking through photo albums and this was no different. They sat there for over an hour looking at the photographs, talking about each one. There were some pictures of her and Elvis from before they broke up. Some of his family and of the guys from Special Forces. Georgie wondered whether she would be able to sneak out some of the ones of Elvis and Captain James which must have been taken when they first joined up. They both looked so young and carefree.

But most of the photos were recent ones…mainly of Laura and Elvis but quite a few featured Molly, Sam and Captain James. The familiar feeling of regret washed over her; she could have been there in those photos too if she had only given him a second chance earlier.

"Want to look again?" Laura asked her when they came to the end of the album.

"I think we better go check on your uncle, make sure he has been cleaning up like he said…He's been pretty quiet down there." Georgie replied.

She would have loved to have spent more time with Laura but knew she would have to get going soon if she was going to catch her train in time. Plus, her phone had been constantly vibrating in her pocket for the last 30minutes. Without looking she knew it would be her parents…worried about where she was.

"Okay." Laura jumped off the bed and ran out the room.

Georgie took one last look around, clutching his hoodie before slowly closing the door behind her.

As she made her way downstairs, she rolled her eyes at the amouth of missed calls and text messages from her parents and sisters. She quickly sent her mum a message, telling her she would be leaving soon and would call her when she was on her way.

"Uncle Charlie and Sam are watching the rugby…" She heard Molly tell Laura.

"Rugby's boring." Laura replied.

"Tell me about it." Molly answered. "How about you go sit with them and play on your tablet…Dinner will be ready soon, anyway."

"Okay."

Georgie watched her walk down the hall and into the living room but she stopped for a moment. When Georgie looked in, she could see the boss was asleep sat up with Sam curled up at his side, his head resting on his Dad's chest. She watched as Laura walked towards them, picking up her tablet and a pair of headphones on her way. She was surprised further when Laura covered them both witha blanket before climbing up onto Charles' lap putting her headphones on and settled back against him.

"I thought they had been quiet for too long…" Molly appeared at her side. "I suppose, at least it means he'll get some sleep."

"They look adorable…" Georgie commented. "I bet 2 section would love to see a picture."

Molly laughed. "Believe me, if he didn't have embarrassing photos of me, I'd be the first one sending it to them."

"I better get going…"

"You don't have too…Stay for dinner…there's plenty." Molly offered. "It'll be getting dark soon too…you could stay the night."

"I think my family might have a meltdown if I don't head home now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…I know I probably crossed a line coming here and asking…"

"Georgie, I know Charles is your CO but he considers you a friend…we both do…" Molly told her. "You're always welcome here."

Georgie reached out and hugged her. "Thank you."

"If there is anything you need or if you want to talk…"

"I'll put you on speed dial." Georgie pulled back, giving her a small smile. "Say goodbye to them for me."

"I will." Molly followed her to the door, standing on the doorstep as Georgie made her way down the path.

"Molly?" She stopped halfway and turned back to her. "The boss…Has he spoken to anyone? About what happened?"

"Not properly…not yet…"

"Because some of the things he said…"

"I know…"

"He might need someone."

"Georgie, I know…"

She nodded. "He'll be okay."

"I know that too."

Georgie gave her one more smile before carrying on down the path. She knew they all had a long way to go before any of them were okay but no matter how much she wanted to give up, she knew Elvis wouldn't want her too. She just preyed Captain James knew that too.

 **This was meant to be a standalone but I may continue…Let me know what you think.**

 **Thanks for ready!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews! This was originally meant to be a one shot but couldn't resist writing more. This was going to be the final chapter but ended up longer than planned… It's quite a Georgie heavy chapter (which is odd, since I'm pretty annoyed with her character atm) . I hope you like it! Please review!**

 **Missing in Photographs**

Georgie watched as the scenery slowly passed by and wished more than anything they were going faster – she didn't know why she had said yes to this…It seemed like the right thing to do when they had asked her but now she felt trapped in the car that was slowly following Elvis' coffin.

"Georgie?" Her Mum reached over and grasped her hand.

Her eyes slid shut and she shook her head slightly; knowing if she tried to speak she would choke on the words.

Grace gave her hand a squeeze, watching her with sadness and concern in her eyes.

Elvis' family had asked her if she would like to travel to the funeral with them and as his fiancée, the only right answer seemed to be yes. His parents sat in the seats in front of her, along with his younger brother, Louie, who was in his uniform…not long out of basic training…He had been so desperate to follow in his big brother's footsteps. The car behind them was carrying his Grandparents and two sisters. The family that had always been so loud; voices raised to be heard over one another was now silent.

"We'll be there soon…" Grace added, finding it difficult to know what to say or do.

Her own sisters and Dad were meeting them at the church and Georgie wished now she had gone with them. She didn't feel like she belonged with this family. Yes, they had been sweet to include her in the planning of the funeral and had welcomed her back without hesitation once Captain James had explained how Elvis had proposed before going on that final mission. Still, no matter how kind they all had been, Georgie couldn't help but wonder if they judged her for not forgiving him sooner.

The church yard looked busy when they pulled up outside. Georgie had spent the whole car journey wishing she could get out but now the car had come to a stop, she didn't know if she could.

A funeral was something you do to celebrate the life of the person who had passed...to acknowledge they were loved but were now gone. She wasn't ready to accept he was gone… she knew that he was…she knew it wasn't healthy but she didn't think she could let him go….And she didn't want to ….Her grieving was hurting more than anything she had to go through before but at least she felt the pain because she was numb to everything else.

"Georgie?" Grace said gently when she made no move to get out the car. "Are you ready?"

She wanted to scream no…she wasn't ready…not ready to say goodbye…not ready to let him go…she didn't think she'd ever be but she somehow found herself nodding her head and pushing open the door with a shaky hand.

"Alright, love?" Her Dad appeared, helping her out the car. Marie and Lulu was behind him both of them already looking tearful.

"I don't think I can do this…" Georgie whispered roughly.

"You can… you're the strongest person I know." Max told her, putting her arm through his and allowed her to lean against him. "And we'll all be right here by your side the whole way."

She felt herself nodding again, taking a deep shaky breath as her Mum took hold of her other hand and they started to make their way to the church, following Elvis' family.

Her eyes was automatically drawn to a group all dressed in uniform; her section were there. For a moment, she wondered whether it would have been better if she had attended as a fellow soldier. Although she had picked the navy blue dress she was wearing because it was the dress she had worn on her first date with Elvis, she had always felt far more comfortable and confident when she was in her uniform.

As they draw nearer, she saw Captain James say something to Kingy who turned to repeat it to the rest of them and just as Elvis' family reached them, 2 Section stood to attention.

Georgie was suddenly reminded of what Molly said about him having to be a Captain and hold it together while saying goodbye to his best friend when Elvis' parents came to a stop in front of the boss. She wondered how difficult this must really be for him; she was allowed to openly grieve for her fiancée and while she knew no one would hold it against him showing some emotion over the death of his best friend, she also knew it was something he'd never do in public.

Being best friends for so long, she knew Elvis and the Boss had grown close with each other's families. She knew that Elvis and his family were the only ones to get away with calling him 'Charlie.' Not long after she had gotten together with Elvis, his parents were having a big anniversary party at the restaurant their family owned. She had not met Captain James at that point but heard a lot about him. They had all been worried that he wouldn't make it to the party because he had just left hospital after getting injured while in Afghanistan. The minute he walked in, his leg in a support and with a cane, he was surrounded by the whole family until Sofia Hart pushed them all out the way, hit him upside the head and told him off for getting shot before pulling him into a tight hug.

Georgie was suddenly worried that she might do the same now as the boss stood iron board straight, staring ahead just like the rest of the section in front of her but fortunately her husband started to move forward again before she had chance. Although Leo Hart couldn't resist, placing a hand on his son's best friend's shoulder as he guided his wife away.

Georgie was both concerned and a little impressed that her captain's face remained emotionless as the rest of Elvis' family passed by him…That was until Louie came to a stop before saluting. There was a flicker of something that Georgie couldn't quite read in the boss' eyes before he returned the salute and the younger soldier moved on.

Her section still stood to attention even when it was just her and her family. She knew they were doing it out of respect but it just didn't seem right.

"Boss."

"Lane…" Charles looked down at her. "How you doing?"

"Would be better if those Muppets moved…" She tried to lighten the mood, nodding her head in the direction of 2 Section.

Charles followed her gaze. "At ease, guys…"

Georgie looked at her parents. "Can you give me a minute?"

"Of course, love." Max kissed the side of her head. "We'll be right over there."

"Thanks…" She watched them walk away before looking back at her friends. "Come on, stop it…"

"What?" Maisy frowned.

"Looking at me like that…" Georgie replied. "Cos if I start crying, I don't think I'll stop…"

"We want you to know, Georgie…we're here for you." Brains told her. "For whatever you need… even if it's a good cry…"

"Or getting rat assed at the pub…" Fingers added.

Georgie couldn't help but let out a small laugh and felt her shoulders relax a little. It was easy being around them. She could be Lance Corporal Georgie Lane, Army Medic. Not Georgie Lane, too stubborn to give into her feelings and forgive the love of her life. She knew she was right not to go running back into his arms after the whole Kenya / Jamie mess but she should have listened to her heart and realized she was never going to love anyone else like she loved him.

She caught sight of Laura, stood with Molly, Sam and an older couple. Her heart ached to see both kids looking sad and uncertain but was pleased to see Laura in a pretty pale pink summer dress and Sam in gray trousers and a crisp white shirt…They were too young to be wearing black.

She watched as the older woman, patted Molly's shoulder and ruffled Sam's hair before taking hold of Laura's hand to lead her towards Elvis' family. As she watched them cross the church yard, she realized the woman must have been the Bossman's mother. As soon as they reached the family, Mrs. James hugged a sobbing Sofia while Leo knelt down in front of his Granddaughter, his arms open.

Laura looked unsure at him before turning to face her uncle. Georgie glanced back at Charles to see him give her a reassuring smile and a small nod. This was all the little girl needed to step forward into her Grandpa's waiting arms.

Georgie knew the rest of her section missed the small interaction, all of them deep in conversation.

"So, how have you been, Lane?" Captain James questioned again once he was satisfied that Laura was doing okay with her Grandparents.

"I'm not really sure, Sir…" She said honestly.

"It takes time." He said understandingly.

"I don't know if there's enough time in the world…" She whispered.

Charles frowned a little. "It can seem like a slow process but eventually we all heal…"

"And you, Boss?" Georgie questioned. "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know…" He started to say with a shrug but then something grabbed his attention.

Georgie almost didn't register the bang; possibly a nearby car door being slammed shut or something being dropped at the construction site down the road. She saw a flash of panic cross his face as his eyes darted between his wife and son to Laura.

"Boss?" She questioned, placing a hand on his forearm when he moved to push past her.

The contact seemed to bring him back to the present and saw the realization hit him before he forced his attention back on her.

"Sorry, what was you saying, Lane?"

"Are you okay, boss?" She frowned in concern.

"Sorry…"

Georgie turned to look back at the voice behind her and saw Molly. She must not have been the only one to notice his reaction.

"Can I just borrow you for a minute?" Molly looked at her husband.

"Sure." Charles nodded and looked at Georgie. "Excuse me."

Georgie watched as the boss followed Molly back over to where Sam was waiting with his Grandfather.

"Is that his wife?" Rab questioned, watching them too.

"That's our Dawesy…." Fingers replied.

"She was our medic on our first tour." Brains added.

Maisy looked at them confused. "Not his wife, then?"

"Don't listen to them…They didn't tell me that was his wife when I first met her." Monk cut in. "I looked like a right nob."

"No one told you to hit on her!" Brains laughed.

"You should have seen Bossman's face…" Fingers smirked.

"Wait, so he married his medic?" Maisy questioned. "The boss broke the rules?"

They were all now watching their Captain who was crouched down, talking to his son.

"It wasn't like that…They bonded in Afghan…fell in love… She even saved his life." Fingers told her. "It was proper romantic."

"Guys, this might not be the best place." Kingy advised, flicking his eyes towards Georgie.

They all looked guilty towards Georgie but she was watching the couple too.

"Georgie, sweetheart." Grace appeared in front of her. "The family is heading into the church."

Georgie looked back at her section; desperately…Panicked…She still wasn't ready for this.

"We'll be right behind you." Kingy assured her.

"Come on, love." Grace said gently, linking her arm through her daughters.

"Looks like people are moving in…" Thomas James observed.

Charles looked up at his dad, still from his position in front of Sam before turning and saw Elvis' family heading to the entrance of the church. While apart of him was pleased to see Laura doing okay walking between her grandparents there was also a panicked feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't explain.

"Dad?" Sam said quietly, looking worried. "Is it going to be really sad?"

"Yeah, Scamp…I think it will be." Charles replied. "But that's because everyone loved Uncle Elvis so much and will miss him…"

"What if I cry?"

"Well, that's okay." Charles assured him. "It's okay to cry when you're sad… just like it's okay to smile when you're happy."

"Uncle Elvis didn't cry…he was tough."

"He was tough." Charles agreed. "But even he cried…and believe me, Sam…he wouldn't want you to worry about what people think and he wouldn't want you trying to hide how you feel… You know if he saw you crying, he would the first person to give you a big hug and try and make it okay….He wouldn't judge you."

Sam nodded a little, thinking over what his father had just said. "Do you cry, Dad?"

"Sometimes…Yes." Despite wanting to appear strong for his son, he knew it was more important Sam understood showing emotion was not a weakness.

"Laura's gone in with Sofia and Leo…" Elizabeth James rejoined her family. "We should start making our way in."

"Can I walk with you, Dad?"

"Sorry, Scamp…I've got some duties to do for the service."

"Come on, young man…you can stay with me." Thomas put his arm around his grandson's shoulders.

"I'll see you after, okay?" Charles promised him.

"Okay…" Sam nodded and allowed his grandfather to lead him away.

Molly looked around and saw most people were now inside and those who were still outside wasn't paying them any attention.

"I'm so proud of you…" She told her husband softly when he stood up.

"What for?" He questioned. "I haven't done anything…"

"You have…Being strong for Sam and Laura… for Georgie and 2 Section." She reached for his hand.

"I don't feel strong…" He admitted. "I don't feel like anything I do is helping."

"You are." She assured him. "But don't forget about yourself…What you said to Sam about Elvis not wanting him to hide his feelings, you were right…but that goes for you too…the last thing he would want is for you to suffer."

"I'm not trying to hide my feelings, Moll…" He whispered, looking down. "I'm just trying to survive."

"I know…" She stepped closer, stroking his cheek with her free hand. "But just remember that there are people around you who love you and can help…"

He closed his eyes and leaned forward until his forehead was rest against hers. He took some deep, shaky breaths and just concentrated on her.

"I'm sorry…But I think they're waiting for us." Molly hated having to break away from him but she could see Spanner hovering by the church door.

"We should get this over with then…" He stood up straight and managed to give her a smile and squeezed her hand.

They walked hand in hand towards the church. Whenever they were together when Charles was in uniform, they tried to keep physical affection to a minimum; especially since up until recently, Molly would have been in uniform too but he wasn't ready to let go of her just yet.

"Can you sit with us?" She looked up at him. "Or do you need to sit with the lads?"

"Save me a seat." He told her, bringing her hand to his lips before dropping it as they reach Spanner.

"I'll see you in there." Molly told him; giving Spanner a small smile as she passed him.

"Are you sure you're okay to do this, Sir?" Spanner asked him. "I'm sure we can find someone else…"

"I'll be fine…" He replied, shaking his head a little.

"Just like all those times we had to carry him home from the pub, ay Sir…" Spanner quipped, trying to lighten the mood as they joined the others.

"Yeah…" Charles gave him a smile before looking down at coffin and continuing with a whisper. "One last time…"

It had originally been decided that the Special Forces guys would carry Elvis in but Dyno was still receiving treatment from his leg injury and hadn't been cleared to do it. Charles couldn't say no when they asked him. He might not be able to stand up in front of everyone and talk about his best friend but he couldn't let him go on this last journey without being by his side.

 **TBC**

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**

 **There will be more to come...mostly focused on Charles, particularly with his relationship with Laura.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, thank you all for the review! This is another long chapter. Hope you like it!**

 **Missing in Photographs**

Georgie sat numbly between her parents as they made small talk with one of Elvis' Uncles. She wasn't listening to the conversation; she had barely been able to keep track of anything going on around her since the moment they had stepped into the church. The service was a blur to her now…She remembered trying so hard to keep a hold of her emotions but broke the moment she caught sight of the coffin being carried by the Special Forces Lads and Captain James. Her mum had held her the entire time, trying to sooth her but she couldn't stop. Not only couldn't she say goodbye to him but couldn't stand seeing everyone else saying it either.

Her father had suggested giving the wake a miss after watching his distraught daughter suffer through the service but Georgie insisted on going. Now, sitting in the family's restaurant, she wondered whether he might have been right.

Elvis' mother and a couple of his aunts were moving around the restaurant, making sure everyone had enough food and drink. Georgie knew she was doing it to keep busy and she envied her of that.

Looking around, Georgie recognized a lot of faces both from Elvis' family and from the army. He would have loved this…Everyone together. She spotted Captain James stood, nodding every now and then to whatever Major Beck was saying. Georgie didn't know the Major all that well but knew he had been involved in both the boss' and Elvis' career from the beginning. Despite being in conversation with his Commanding Officer, Georgie could tell Charles was distracted. She followed his gaze as it moved from Molly and Sam sat with Elvis' father to the other side of the room to where Laura was between Spanner and Peanut. She couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of the 2 normally big, tough Special Forces guys giving the little girl their full attention.

She realized that they must already have a close relationship with Laura if she was happy to sit with them rather than be glued at the boss' side. Her heart clenched sharply; she could have had a relationship of her own with the little girl herself if she hadn't wasted so much time.

She forced her eyes away from them when she felt tears start to form. Just knowing she was never going to see Elvis again was bad enough, she needed to stop torturing herself with 'what ifs.'

She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw Marie stood at the bar chatting with Fingers but was pleased to see her mate picking up a tray of drinks and heading back over to the rest of their section. She longed to join them, knowing the strength sticking together gave them all. It's why they insisted on returning to Nepal as one section.

"Where you going, love?" Grace questioned.

Georgie found herself on her feet. "I'm just going to talk to the lads."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, mum…it's fine." She shook her head when she saw her mother start to stand.

She loved her family more than anything but they didn't understand. Not that anyone really understood what she was feeling but being with her section, her mates…It made it just that bit easier.

"Alright, Lane?" Kingy greeted her first when she joined them. "How you holding up?"

She shrugged. "Feeling a little suffocated… Also feel a bit of a prat for making a scene at the church."

"You didn't." Brain assured her and handed her the pint that Fingers had just brought him. "Here…I'll go get another."

"Thanks…" She replied softly, taking a sip and turning her back so she didn't have to watch her parents watching her.

"Good turnout…" Rab said, feeling the need to break the silence and then looked confused when Maisy shoved him. "What?"

"When are you coming back, Georgie?" Maisy ignored him and then frowned a little when the medic didn't answer right away. "You are coming back, ain't you?"

Georgie took a deep shaky breath and shrugged. "I don't know what I'm doing yet…"

"But you gotta…You can't leave me alone with these losers!" Maisy exclaimed, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the rest of the section.

"Hey, watch it, Richards." Kingy said warningly but they all knew he wasn't serious.

"I don't know when they're going to clear me for active service." Georgie said, unable to stop herself from laughing lightly at her reaction. At the beginning of the tour, she couldn't stand Richards and Richards couldn't stand her but they certainly had grown fond of each other. "I going to spend some time in Preston…Be close to home."

"Who's going to Preston?" Brains questioned as he re-joined the group.

"Georgie." Maisy answered sulkily.

"Could be worse…Could be Manchester…"

"Oi!" Georgie jabbed him in the ribs while Fingers threw a beer mat at him.

"So, you're not coming to Nigeria with us then?" Brain added after grinning at them both.

"You're off to Nigeria?" Georgie asked in surprise.

"To support the Nigerian Army fight Boko Haram." Kingy supplied. "We've got four more weeks of training before we go."

Georgie glanced back at her parents, feeling guilt slowly start to creep over her. She had promised them she wouldn't rush off on another tour…she told them she would seriously consider a career outside of the army but she couldn't help but feel drawn back to her section.

"Hey, Boss…Can I get you a drink?"

Georgie turned back around at Brains' offer and realized Captain James was stood beside her.

"No, I'm fine, thank you…"

To Georgie, he looked even more exhausted then he did the day she visited him and wondered whether Laura was still keeping him awake.

"We were just telling Georgie about Nigeria…" Maisy stated. "Can't you do something, boss? It won't be the same without her…"

Charles smiled softly at her; he was pleased that the two of them bonded during the last tour. He knew Georgie would be a good mentor for Richards and Richards would be the perfect ally for Georgie.

"It's not quite that simple, Richards." He told her knowing that Georgie would need to pass a psych evaluation before returning to active service. She may even decide not to return to 2 Section or could leave the army all together. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel pressured to make a decision right away.

"Come on, Boss…You know you want her on tour with us…"

"You're going on tour again?"

Brains and Fingers took a step apart and had to look down to see where the voice came from.

"Sam?" Charles frowned a little when he saw his son glaring at him.

"You're leaving again? You're going on another tour?!" He asked angrily.

"Come on, Scamp…You know I'm in the army…" Charles took a step closer to him but stopped in surprise when his son stepped back.

"All you care about is the stupid army!" Sam's voice rose, causing the whole room to fall quiet and everyone to turn their attention towards them.

Charles' heart suddenly accelerated and his palms started to sweat as he felt like everything was slipping out of his control. He wanted to comfort and reassure Sam more than anything but he was distracted by the sound of Laura struggling against Spanner and Peanut who were attempting to stop her from running to him.

"That's not true, Sam…" He managed to say, his eyes flicking towards his section. He needed to stay in control. He needed to show them that he could still be a good captain. "Come on, we can talk about this later…"

"No! You'll just lie again!"

"Sam…" Tightness gripped his chest at the anger in his son's voice.

"What's going on?!" Molly hissed as she reached them.

Again, Charles' attention was drawn away by Laura's screams, getting louder and louder.

"He's going on tour again!"

"What?" Molly looked at her husband.

"Nigeria…I told you about it."

"Yeah but I thought…" She started and then trailed off.

"Molly…" He whispered, his eyes burning into hers desperately.

If he could just focus on her…She could centre him and then he could explain everything to Sam. His son had always been proud that his Daddy was a Captain…and he could prove to everyone else he was still capable.

He knew he had promised her before going to Nepal that it would be the last time he took another tour for a long time. He knew they had plans but that had all changed the minute he had stepped foot back in Afghanistan. He couldn't let his last tour be such a disaster, not after everything he's been through during his army career. He had to right the wrongs.

"It's okay, Sam…" Molly turned her attention to her stepson.

"It's not! He's picking the stupid army again!" Sam rubbed his eyes roughly in an attempt to hide the tears. "And he's going to get shot again or get blown up like Uncle Elvis!"

Charles saw Molly flinch at the words before there was a flash of light and the image of Elvis' charred body flew across his eyes.

He struggled to take a breath as he willed his stomach to stop churning and he fought to keep up as his mind raced with thoughts of Azizi, Elvis and even Smurf.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, reaching out to a placing a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"I hate the stupid Army!" Sam shrugged his hand away. "And I hate you!"

"Sam!" He called as his son ran off.

He watched, feeling completely helpless until he felt a hand grip his, pulling him back to the reality.

"I'll go after him…" Molly told him, trying to get a hold of her emotions. "You get Laura."

Charles didn't move and tried to hold onto his wife's hand for as long as possible as she moved in the direction Sam had just fled to.

"Charles." She turned back to him, when he still didn't let go. "Get Laura! She needs you."

He suddenly was hit by the sound of his goddaughter screaming at the top of her lungs but now she wasn't calling for him…She was calling for her Daddy. He mentally shook himself; Laura's need was greater than his.

He crossed the room quickly to where Leo Harte was crouched down in front of his granddaughter, trying to calm her but the little girl fought to get away from him; still crying loudly.

"Laura." He reached for her but she was far too distraught to even register him there.

"Daddy! I want my Daddy!" She screamed, flinging her arms around and kicking her legs to stop anyone getting too close. "Daddy!"

Leo looked helplessly at Charles as he took a step back. It killed him that he couldn't help his granddaughter but knew if anyone could it would be his son's best friend…the man who Elvis relied upon so many times.

Charles leaned down and scooped her up, cradling her to him like a baby trying his best to dodge her tiny fists and didn't flinch when some hits connected with his chest and jaw. He didn't say anything to Laura or anyone else; instead he held her tightly to him and crossed the restaurant towards the door that led out into the beer garden.

As the sound of her crying grew quieter with distance, the noise in the room started to return. People whispering quietly about what they just witness, some even in tears.

"What the fuck was that?" Monk questioned.

"Was that even his kid?" Rab added.

"That's Laura…" Georgie was still staring at the door where their captain had gone. "Elvis' daughter."

"Georgie? Sweetheart?" Her mother took her hand as her and Max reached her, both looking concerned. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head slightly and closed her eyes, taking a deep shaky breath. "I just want this day to be over."

"Kingy, maybe you should go out there." Maisy suggested, nodding in the direction of the beer garden.

"Why would I do that?" He asked.

"You have kids, don't ya…?"

"So, does the boss." Brains pointed out.

"Yeah but girls are completely different." Maisy claimed. "He might need help."

"She lives with them…" Georgie cut in.

"What?"

"Laura…" She told them. "Elvis had joint custody of her and they used to stay with the boss and Molly when it was his turn to have her…even if he was away, she would still go there and stay….and I never knew that…not until recently."

"Well, how were you meant to know, love?" Grace rubbed her back gently.

"I should have…I wish I did …I wish I had known…I wish I knew her….she's a piece of him." Tears ran down Georgie's face.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Grace tried to pull her into her arms but she resisted.

"What about her?" Georgie asked. "Everyone keeps checking up on me…everyone keeps asking if I'm okay…but she's lost him too...She lost her Daddy and she's only little...she's hurting so much and she doesn't understand where her Daddy's gone…"

"She'll be okay, Georgie." Brains tried to comfort her. "Like you said, she's got the boss… he'll look out for her."

"Yeah and what about him?" Georgie turned to look at her section. "Elvis was his best mate… They've been through everything together….He must be tortured by the image of him flying off that building…I know I am."

This time Georgie didn't fight when her Mum wrapped her arms around her as she sobbed.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Charles stared down at Laura sleeping peacefully, still in his arms. He had been relieved when he stepped outside to find the garden empty, probably due to the cold weather. After ten minutes of walking around, trying to get Laura to focus on the stars that were barely beginning to show in the sky, her cries turned into quiet sobs and then she drifted off to sleep. He knew he should probably go back inside but seeing her so peaceful made him feel calmer then he had done for days.

Hearing someone coming out of the restaurant, he looked up expecting to see Molly but instead was surprised to see Kingy.

"Thought you'd need this…" The sergeant held up the jacket he had removed earlier in one hand and two bottles of lager in the other. "And this…"

Charles gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

Kingy handed him the jacket and set the bottles down on the picnic table before sitting opposite his captain. Not surprise to see Charles gently wrapping Laura up in it instead of slipping it on himself.

"Lane told us that she's been staying with you."

"Elvis needed somewhere to stay when he had her…it made sense they stayed with us instead of wasting time going back and forth to London."

"He was lucky to have you… not sure many of my mates would have done that for me or me for them…My wife would've probably kicked me out with them if I even tried…" Kingy took a pull of his lager and laughed lightly.

Charles gave him a brief smile and shook his head. "You would...And fortunately, Molly comes from a big family so is used to a lot of people coming and going…I suppose she learnt from being in the army that family doesn't just mean people who were blood related."

There was a few seconds of silence as Kingy took another sip from his lager, watching as Charles brushed some stray hairs out of Laura's face and behind her ear.

"Nightmares?" Kingy questioned quietly.

Charles nodded. "Most nights…She wakes up scream and it's rare that she goes back to sleep, so we're pretty much running on empty at the moment… Elvis used to like to tell her and Sam stories about the army…he'd never go into details or get too graphic…just stuff like him being a hero and saving the day….He would always involve me in the stories and I think that's why she's so clingy with me…She's got it into her head that the same that happened to him will happen to me."

"Poor kid…"

They fell into another silence and Kingy took another few mouthfuls of lager for courage before continue.

"Must be hard for her…" He stated. "But I was actually asking about you."

Charles kept his eyes on Laura but Kingy noticed he tensed.

"I don't want to over step the mark or anything, Boss…" Kingy continued. "But you look shattered…"

"Like I said, I spend most of the nights with her."

"So, no nightmares?" Kingy questioned doubtfully.

He finally looked up at his sergeant and wanted nothing more than to tell him that he was only sleep deprived because of Laura; but it would be a lie.

"I keep seeing him falling from that building…" He admitted quietly. "Sometimes it's not just him….sometimes Molly is there or Laura or Sam…Sometimes I manage to save him….then I wake up and realize he's still dead."

"Boss, you know there are people you can talk to…"

"But it'll be okay…I'll be fine…We'll get through it." He whispered with his attention back on Laura as he stroked her cheek gently. "We have too."

"Can I ask...Where's her Mum?"

"Who knows?" Charles rolled his eyes. "Debs has never been very reliable…Always late picking her up or asking us to look after her last minute… It's was never a problem…Elvis loved the extra time with her and Molly and I liked having her around so we were always happy to do it… but since Elvis has died, Laura really has had a hard time dealing with it all and Debs said she couldn't manage…Laura was meant to stay the week with us but then that turned into two and now it's been almost three…"

"And you haven't heard from her at all?"

"She's called a couple of times to say she doesn't know when she'll be back…She said it'll be soon but I'm not holding my breath."

"Are you going to be ready to go on tour in 4 weeks?"

"Yeah, we'll make it work…" Charles nodded. "We got Laura an appointment next week with a specialist to help her deal with Elvis' death...And I need to speak with Sam, make sure he knows nothing is going to happen to me...Thank god for Molly…Knowing she'll be here with them will make it easier."

"And what about you, boss?"

"I'll be fine…I just need to get them sorted and get back out there." Charles stated. "You know, I had doubts before Nepal… thought it was time to move on…make some changes…"

"Thinking about going for promotion?" Kingy questioned; he had been surprised the boss hadn't done it before.

"My whole life used to revolve around the army but then I married Molly and that all changed…" Charles told him, looking down at Laura again and smiled. "There was the two of us with not just Sam but my best mate and his daughter…I know people might think it was a little odd but it worked for us… and I'd watch Molly with the kids and she is just amazing…I couldn't wait to see her with her own baby… our baby… but I didn't want to do that if I was being sent off for months at a time leaving them all behind…For once in my life I felt settled and content just being at home with my family…It was getting harder and harder to leave."

"You're leaving the army?!" Now Kingy was surprised. He had known there was something going on with the boss, even before everything that went down in Afghanistan but he could never imagine him giving up the army completely.

"I thought about it but I don't think I'm quite ready for Civvy Street just yet…" He replied. "I spoke with the Brig a few months back about possibly taking a position that meant staying in the UK for longer periods of time…. But then the earthquake happened and he asked me to put everything on hold to go…"

"But now you've changed your mind?"

Charles sighed quietly. "That tour was an utter mess from start to finish….and I can't just walk away and abandon my section after everything."

"It would be okay, boss." Kingy told him. "They would understand."

He shook his head. "I should be there with them…"

"Boss…"

"I can't just walk away and leave them to deal with it all on their own." He continued. "Especially Lane…Elvis would want me to look out for her."

"And I know you will but Boss, you're going to be no good to anyone if you don't take care of yourself too."

"I'm fine…"

"Boss…"

"Sergeant." Charles cut in once again, sending him a warning look.

Kingy fell silent, knowing he needed to thred carefully. He had to remember this was his captain he was talking to, sometimes he forgot. Captain James rarely pulled ranked when it was just them talking, always happy to listen to his opinions and offer advice.

"Boss, remember our first tour together in Syria…Not only was it my first tour in this section but also as a Sergeant…" Kingy started again after another few minutes of silence. "I was bricking it…felt out of my depth…then I got a message saying my daughter was sick and had been rushed into hospital…"

"Where are you going with this, Sergeant?" Charles sighed tiredly.

"You sat with me all night while I waited for news…you told me that you were sure everything would be fine but if needed you would make sure I got home….Thank god, it only turned out to be just a viral infection….but those few hours when all we knew was that she was in hospital I was terrified…" Kingy replied. "I tried to hide how I was feeling to begin with but then you made sure I knew I didn't have to…you told me that showing that I cared for my family wasn't a weakness and that every member of the section would be there to support me because they were my family too…"

"I know what it's like to be away from your kids…" Charles stated, watching Laura sleeping again. "It never gets easier."

"My point is that you were there for me…and I know if we went back in there, there would be people queuing up to tell stories about how you were there for them too!" Kingy nodded his head in the direction of the restaurant. "When Fingers' Nan died…You made us all go to Manchester just to take him out for a drink… When Dangleberries didn't get his Lance Corporal promotion, you worked with him until he did get it….Even Richards, she was on her last warning but you took a chance on her and fought for her to be able to join us and she's really flourished…"

"A lot of that was Georgie's influence." Charles claimed although he was right about fighting for her.

He just happened to be in a meeting with Major Beck and Richards's previous Captain when they were discussing what to do with her. From what he heard, she actually reminded him a lot of Molly when he first met her. Everyone thought he was mad when he suggested she joined Two Section.

"Yeah but you planned all along for Georgie to mentor her." Kingy pointed out.

"Perhaps…" Charles conceded. "But I was just doing my job…"

"And Georgie, after Kenya, it was you who made sure she was okay and tgot the proper help she needed…We all know she would have just gone back to work and pretended like everything was okay if she wasn't pushed to speak to someone….Even when the top bosses wanted to get her involved with ID-ing the suspects, you made sure you were with her and that she didn't need to do anything she wasn't comfortable with…"

Charles thought back to that tour; that was the first real time he considered his future in the Army. He had found it so difficult being away from home and after Georgie's kidnap, Mansfield getting shot and Elvis falling from that tower had really made him think about how it could have been him. He had already survived two gunshot wounds that could have easily killed him…would he be so lucky to survive again if it were to happen?

"Then 9 months after Kenya when Mansfield Mike was making mistakes, turning up late, becoming aggressive, drinking heavily… instead of disinclining him or turning your back like most of the lads were ready to do… you took him aside and explained to him the signs of PTSD…You promised to help him through it… told him it was nothing to be ashamed of and that you understood that he was just trying to hold on so tightly to everything he had... told him he would end up losing it all in the end anyway unless he got the help he needed… then when he said he felt like he had let you down, you told him you'd be more disappointed if he didn't let you help him."

Charles wanted nothing more than to get up and walk away or tell Kingy to shut up but knew that would only make matters worse. The more the sergeant talked, the more Charles felt his heart pounding.

"Boss, I sat there with you and Mansfield when he broke down in your arms…" Kingy continued quietly, leaning a little closer over the table. "It was you who got through to him and convinced him to get help… You told him that no one would think less of him… So, why do you think people would think of you if you asked for help? Unless, you were lying when you said that to him."

"Of course not!" Charles insisted, his head snapping up to glare at Kingy.

"Okay, so you think it's different because you're the boss?"

"Yes…"

"With all due respect, Sir…that's a load of crap."

"Watch it…"

"You've drummed into us we're a family…that we're there for each other no matter what and that we got to have each other's back….Boss, that section in there would do anything for you, you know that right?" Kingy told him. "Believe me when I tell you they would not think less of you if you asked for some help…"

"I'm okay…"

"It's not like you cracked under the pressure… You not only lost your best friend but you watched him die in a pretty horrific way…And on top of that you're taking care of his daughter…"

"I can handle it…" Charles started but stuttered a little over the words.

"I know you're trying to keep it together…But if you don't let people help you, you're going to end up losing something …or someone." Kingy threw the words he had said to Mansfield back at him. "And Boss, that's when you're going to let down all those people that look up to you."

Kingy made sure to keep a strong eye contact with Charles; not sure what the reaction he was going to get. He prayed that he got through to his captain but also knew he might have not only crossed the line but completely bulldozed over it.

"Charles?"

They both turned at the voice of Major Beck and saw him walking towards them.

"Don't get up…" He waved them back down when he saw them both move to stand up. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Of course…It was good of you to come and stay so long, Sir." Charles got to his feet anyway, relieved that Laura still didn't stir.

"It was the least I could do…" Beck patted his shoulder. "Harte will be sorely missed."

"Yes, Sir…"

"Right, well…We'll catch up sometime in the week." Beck told him and turned to leave.

"Actually, Sir…" Charles called out before he could stop himself. "Could I have a quick word before you go? It's important."

Beck turned back in surprise. "Of course, what's on your mind?"

"Kingy, do you mind taking Laura back inside?"

"No problem, Sir." He carefully took her into his arms before leaving them to talk; hoping it was a good sign. Either that or the Captain was requesting that Major Beck transferred him out of his section.

When Kingy re-entered the restaurant, he saw 2 Section still all huddled together and looked around until he spotted Molly on the other side of the room talking with Spanner.

"Where's Charles?" She asked when Kingy reached them.

"Here, let me take her…" Spanner reached out and took Laura.

"He's still outside." Kingy told Molly and put a hand out to stop her when she moved to stand up. "Maybe give him a few more minutes….He's talking with Major Beck."

"Is he okay?" Molly asked quietly as she retook her seat.

"I think he will be." Kingy replied, giving her a small smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me…I better get back over there and make sure that rabble is behaving themselves."

Molly laughed. "Good luck with that."

Molly waited anxiously for 10 minutes before Major Beck walked back in alone, saying a few more goodbyes before leaving. She managed to sit still for another 2 minutes before she got to her feet but before she could move, he reappeared. She sighed in relief and retook her seat on the bar stool in an attempt to stop herself from throwing herself into his arms and embarrassing them both.

He made his way over to her, stopped briefly to look at Laura still sleeping peacefully wrapped up in his jacket on Spanner's lap.

"Hey…" He said quietly when he reached her. "Where's Sam?"

"Having some ice cream with your Dad and Leo." She told him.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's calm down now…It's just been a long day for everyone."

"Yeah…" He agreed, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you okay?" She asked, reaching out and linking her fingers through his.

He automatically went to tell her he was fine but stopped himself at the last second. "No."

"Tell me what I can do." She gripped his hand tighter.

"Can I have a hug?"

She didn't even answer, instead tugged on his arm so he closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her neck. With her being sat on the stool, she was just the right height to rest her chin on his shoulder as she ran her hand up and down his back.

"It's going to be okay…" She whispered in his ear when she felt tears running down his face and onto her skin. "I promise."

"I just feel so lost…so useless…" He admitted. "I feel like I'm spiralling."

"I know but if we stick together, we can get through it….Can't we?"

He pulled back but only far enough to rest his forehead against hers. "I spoke with Beck…Told him I needed help."

"You did?"

"Yeah, he's going find a replacement captain for Nigeria." He told her. "He's going to get me some time off and set me up to speak to someone."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" He nodded and looked alarmed when tears filled her eyes. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing…" She shook her head. "Just….Thank you."

He reached up and brushed away a few of her tears before kissing her forehead.

"God, if Elvis was here…He'd kick my ass for everything being so serious…" Charles laughed lightly.

"He'd be starting a drinking game..." Molly added.

"Don't say that too loud…" He groaned. "This lot don't need a lot of encouragement."

"Dad?"

He turned around and saw Sam stood behind him, looking concerned.

"Hey, Scamp…"

"I'm sorry, Dad…" Tears filled his eyes. "I didn't mean what I said…"

"It's okay, Sam…" Charles crouched down in front of him. "It's me who's sorry…I never realized you felt that way…"

"I don't…" He shook his head. "I know you're in the army and you love it…but…I just get scared sometimes."

Charles put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "You don't need to worry about me, Scamp…Okay?"

"Okay." Sam nodded and then moaned when Charles pulled him into a hug. "Dad! People are watching! I'm not a baby…"

Charles rolled his eyes as he stood up but couldn't resist ruffling Sam's hair as he did. "You'll always be my baby, Scamp…"

"Dad!" Sam frantically tried to smooth down his hair. "You're so embarrassing!"

"Good thing I have Laura…She still likes my cuddles." Charles commented when they heard the little girl waking up and calling out for him.

Molly laughed at them; knowing that not only had her husband acknowledged that he needed help but also asked for it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. She knew they had a long way to go yet but it was a start.

She helped Sam climb up on the stool beside her as Charles took Laura from Spanner and re-joined them.

"Come here, beautiful…" Molly held out her arms and smiled at her husband when Laura immediately settled on her lap.

"Well gang, think it's time we head home…" Charles said reaching out to brush back Molly's hair from where it fell in front of her face as she kissed the top of Laura's head.

"How about tomorrow we have a pyjama and movie day?" Molly suggested. "We can have pancakes for breakfast and order pizza for lunch…"

"Can we watch Frozen?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, course we can." Molly told her. "You know Uncle Charlie loves singing along."

"Watch it, Dawes…"

"You don't have work tomorrow, Dad?" Sam questioned.

"Nope." He shook his head. "I spoke with my boss…Told him I wanted some time off….so it's going to be a while before I do have to work."

"What about your tour?" Sam frowned a little.

"Told him I couldn't go." Charles smiled at him. "That I'd rather stay at home with my family."

Charles stumbled a little and barely managed to catch his son when he launched himself off the stool and into his Dad's arms.

"I thought you didn't like hugs anymore."

"I don't." Sam mumbled into his neck.

Charles tightened his hold on him, looking over at his wife and saw her with tears in her eyes as she held Laura tightly to her, watching them.

"You really not going away, Uncle Charlie?" Laura asked him.

"No, I'm going to stay here with you guys…" He told her, stepping closer to his girls so he could put an arm around Molly's shoulders. "You three are the most important people in the world to me…and we're going to stick together, okay?"

Molly leaned in towards him until she could rest against his chest. "You're pretty important to us too, right guys?"

Laura nodded, moving so she was kneeing and could stretch up to kiss his cheek. Charles laughed and just managed to catch her before she fell off of Molly's lap.

"Sam? You okay?" He looked down at his son who still hadn't pulled away but he only got a shrug in reply. "Scamp?"

"You're not quitting because of what I said, are you?" Sam asked, looking at him tearfully. "I don't hate the army…and I know you love your job."

"I'm still in the army …" He assured him. "I'm just taking a little break… I need a bit of a rest from it."

Sam frowned a little. "Like after you got shot?"

"Yeah, sort of like that."

"You don't have to go away for that again do you?"

"No, Scamp…I'm going to stay at home." Charles smiled at him. "Okay?"

"Okay." Sam nodded and smiled back.

"Good…" He sat him back down on the stool. "Right, I need to say goodbye to some people and then we'll head on home."

"Come on, guys… you can help me find Nana and Grandpa." Molly said to them. "We might gonna have to drag Grandpa away from the buffet."

"I'll be right with you." Charles told her, helping her off the stool with Laura still in her arms.

"You'd never know, would you?" Rab commented as he stood watching their captain and his family with Maisy, Fingers and Monk.

"Know what?" Monk looked at him.

"That she wasn't their kid." Rab nodded towards them. "They look like the perfect little family."

"Shut up, you idiot." Maisy told him, shooting a concerned look at Georgie.

"What?" Rab frowned at her.

"He's right." Georgie knew Maisy was only looking out for her. "And there's no one in this world that Elvis trusted more than Captain James… So who better to look out for the most important person in his life?"

"Right, who wants another drink?" Monk questioned, noticing Charles heading their way and didn't want to get caught talking about him.

"Better make it the last one, guys." Kingy cautioned. "We should head off soon."

"Alright, boss?" Brains greeted him. "We were just getting another round in, if you want one?"

"Thanks but I just come over to say goodbye…" He replied. "Get the kids home and settled…hopefully we'll all have a good night sleep."

"My mam swore by putting a drop of brandy in our milk if we wouldn't sleep…" Fingers claimed, causing everyone to stare at him. "What?"

"Just somethings are making sense now, Fingers." Charles quipped.

"Thanks, Boss…"

"Wasn't a compliment, mate." Brains sniggered.

Fingers shoved Brains as everyone laughed and Charles couldn't help but wonder whether he was making the right choice. The army had always been what he wanted…He always thought it was who he was. If it wasn't for the army, he would have never met Elvis…Or Molly…She had fallen in love with him as a Captain.

His heart pound wildly when he heard Laura scream but when he spun around, he saw she wasn't in danger but being tickled by Spanner and Peanut as they said goodbye to her.

"Boss, you okay?" Kingy asked, cautiously.

"Yeah…" He whispered, after a few seconds, forcing himself to look back at them. "I just… you all need to know that I'm proud to have served with each and every one of you…"

They all glanced at each other, a little unsure to see their Captain looking so torn up.

"Even Rab?" Maisy couldn't help but try and break the awkward silence.

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

Charles couldn't help but let out a small laugh and looked towards Kingy. "Better look after them for me, Kingy."

Kingy smiled. "Of course, Sir."

"Wait." Georgie frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm not coming on tour with you."

"What?!"

"But boss…"

"Guys!" Kingy called out, gesturing for them all to quieten when they started speaking at once.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I'm up to it…" It took all his willpower to say, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. "I need a break… to recover from what happened…I hate that I'm abandoning you guys…"

"We don't think that." Brains cut in, shaking his head.

"Yeah, we understand, Boss." Fingers added.

"But what are you going to do now?" Monk questioned.

"Spend some time with my family… look after them…" He glanced back and couldn't help but smile when he saw Sam helping Laura button up her coat. "Let them look after me."

"Good thing you still got a thing for a medic then, hey boss…"

"Watch it, Fingers…That's my wife you're talking about." Charles said mock sternly.

"You are going to come back to us though, right boss?" Maisy asked. He was the first CO that had ever given her a real chance.

"I hope so…" He gave her a small smile. "I should tell you all to take it easy on whatever poor soul that gets assigned as your replacement Captain…but not sure it'll do any good."

"We'll be on our best behaviour, Boss." Monk grinned.

"Yeah right," he looked doubtfully at them. "And also be bloody careful out there!"

"We know…"

"Stay focused, stay alert, stay alive…" They all recited.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, you bunch of cockwombles."

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Molly stood with the kids and his parents, all of them with their coats on.

"I better get going." He told them. "Take care, guys…"

He gave Kingy a small smile and a nod, silently thanking him before turning around and walking towards his family.

"Boss?"

He got half way across the restaurant before he realized Georgie had followed him.

"Everything okay, Lane?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

He shrugged a little. "No, I'm not sure at all but I think it's what I need."

"I didn't think I'd see the day when you walked away from the army."

"I'm not walking away…just taking some time out." Charles told her. "5 tours of Afghanistan, 1 of Iraq, 2 in Syria and Kenya and Nepal…I think it's time."

Georgie nodded and look down. "Do you think there is something wrong with me?"

Charles frowned. "What do you mean?"

"After everything that has happened, I should be doing the same as you." She whispered. "But instead I'm desperate to get back out there."

"Georgie, grief affects people differently…You need to follow your own path…"Charles told her softly. "But you also can't keep everything bottled up… talk to your family, your friends, a therapist…You need to follow your own mind and your heart but just don't stop talking either, okay?"

She managed to give him a small smile. "Okay, boss…I promise."

"Good." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "And remember, you can call or come visit at any time…whether you need a captain or a friend… You're always welcome."

"Thanks, Charlie…" She whispered.

Charles felt a lump rise in his throat at the nickname. "I better get going."

"Take care…"

"You too." Charles took a shaky breath before heading towards his family again.

"You okay?" Molly asked when he reached them.

"Yeah…" He nodded, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Let's go home."

Charles smiled down at her when she leaned into him as they followed his parents out of the restaurant. With Laura holding Molly's hand tightly, Charles was both surprised and pleased when he felt Sam slip his hand into his own. The doubts he had started to have suddenly disappeared as he was reminded once again that the only place he wanted to be was with his family.

 _ **The End**_

 **Okay, that's it… Well, except I might do an epilogue …Might gonna need to catch up with how they're all doing a little later down the line!**

 **Thank you all who had review, followed, favorited and read this story!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I said the last chapter was the final one except for maybe an epilogue…which I have been working on and it ended up turning into a bit of a monster chapter. So, I thought I'd post this small bit to break it up a bit. Plus I was feeling a little bad about not updating in a while but life just got in the way. Anyway, hope you like this! Please review!**

 **Missing in Photographs**

Molly woke up to the sound of someone moving around the bedroom, opening her eyes she saw it was still dark outside and a glance at the clock beside the bed told her it was almost 3am.

"Where you going?" She asked sleepily when she realized her husband was getting dressed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…" He whispered, moving to sit beside her on the bed. "I've got to go and get Laura…"

"What?" Molly frowned, sitting up. "What's going on?"

After Laura spent six weeks with them, Debs had collected her that afternoon to take her home and she wasn't due back with them for at least another week.

"Debs called…Laura had a nightmare or something…I really couldn't get much sense out of her but she doesn't know what to do." He told her. "She's in a bit of a state…they both are."

"I'll come with you." She moved to push backthe covers.

"No, it's okay, no use us both missing out on a night's sleep…" He gave her a small smile and pulled the duvet back over her. "If I can get her settled there then I will but if not, I might have to bring her back here…I'm sorry, I know it'll ruin our plans but…"

"That doesn't matter…" She shook her head. Since they were meant to be child free for 5 days until Sam arrived on the weekend, they had planned to make the most of it and have some time alone just them, for the first time in what seemed like forever. "The kids come first."

He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Molly stayed where she was and watched as he pulled on a pair of trainers before grabbing his phone and wallet from the bedside table.

"Call me if you need me." She told him as he moved towards the door.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'll try not to be long."

She waited a few minutes after she heard the front door close behind him before she got up. He was sweet for telling her to go back to sleep but there was zero chance of that happening now; even if she could manage to, chances were she'd only be awake again when he got back.

She headed into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle to make a cup of tea. As she waited for it to boil, she looked around and groaned when she remembered they had not bothered clearing up after dinner. Taking full advantage of being on their own, Charles had cooked a romantic meal because he was by far a better cook then her and afterwards neither of them wanted to clean up, both eager to have an early night.

Sighing, she started to move around the kitchen, knowing it was better for her to do it now then in a couple of hours times. After finishing loading the dishwasher, she filled the sink to wash up the rest and made sure to keep her mobile near, just in case.

Since Laura had started seeing a specialist to help deal with her grief, her nightmares had got better. She still had them but they wasn't every night now nor were they as intense has they had been. In fact, they all seemed to be doing better…Charles was attending meetings regularly and although she knew he was still conflicted about what he wanted to do about his career, he was dealing with the loss of Elvis and even opening up about the responsibility he felt for Azizi, Smurf and Geraint. While it had been difficult to see him tormented by his guilt and his fear of her and the kids getting hurt, she was happy he was letting people help him. They still all had a long way to go but at least they were heading in the right direction.

She was only halfway through the washing up when she heard a car pulling up outside. Glancing down the hallway, she could see headlights on the driveway from the glass panels on the front door. Frowning, she moved down the hall; she hadn't expected him to be that quick.

"Hey…" She greeted, shivering a little as she stood on the doorstep. "Everything okay?"

"Yep, she's going to stay with us for a couple of days…" Charles told her as he opened the car's back door and pulled Laura into his arms.

"Okay…" She watched him closely, having a feeling there was more to it then Laura just having a nightmare.

"Can you take her up?" He asked, moving to hand her over when he reached the door. "I just need to grab her bags."

"Sure." Molly smiled at the little girl. "Hey Beautiful…"

"HI." Laura replied quietly and cuddled up into Molly's arms.

"She needs her pyjamas changed." He called over his shoulder as he headed towards the back of the car.

"Okay…" Molly carried Laura into the house and set her down on the 3rd step on the stairs before helping her remove her coat.

Her confusion over his suggestion of changing her nightwear became clear now. The pyjama bottoms she wore only came down to the middle of her calves and Molly guessed they were at least one size too small while the top she was wearing, didn't match and was just a normal t-shirt which had a hole at the left shoulder.

She looked back out the door when she realized Charles still hadn't come inside and saw he was stood leaning against the car, staring up at the sky. To most people, it would probably look like he was deep in thought but Molly could tell he was trying to calm himself down…What she didn't know was if it was caused by anxiety or anger. Normally, she would go out to him but from past experience, she knew he wouldn't open up to her until he knew the kids had been dealt with.

"Right, come on, you…" Molly picked Laura back up and started to make her way upstairs. "Let's get you changed and into bed…It's way past your bedtime."

"Okay…" Laura yawned; surprising Molly by agreeing to go back to bed so easily. Normally after a bad night, she would use any excuse to get them to allow her to stay up. "Mummy didn't have any of my pyjamas…"

"Didn't she? Well, good thing we have some here then, isn't it." Molly said lightly but she was pretty sure she had packed a couple of pairs in Laura's bag. "I washed some this morning, so you can choose…Frozen or LOL dolls?"

"Frozen." Laura replied, putting her head on Molly's shoulder.

Molly glanced at Elvis' bedroom and considered allowing Laura to sleep in there. It normally comforted her being around his stuff but she had been doing so well at sleeping in her own room and in her own bed that Molly didn't want to risk ruining it.

"Is Uncle Charlie mad at me?" Laura asked quietly as Molly sat her down on her bed before opening a drawer and pulling out her Frozen pyjamas.

"Course not…" Molly assured her. "Why would he be mad at you?"

"Because he had to come pick me up…" Laura said sadly. "But I didn't like it there… I wanted to come home."

Molly sighed quietly, ran a hand through the little girl's hair making a mental note that it would need brushing before she got into bed. She wondered when Laura had stopped thinking of home being with her mum. "Uncle Charlie is not mad with you, Beautiful… he wouldn't want you to stay there if you didn't like it or was scared…Plus, we really like it when you're here with us."

Laura smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, now let's get these pyjamas on…" Molly helped to get her changed and grabbed a hair brush, gently running it through her hair. "Good thing there's an inset day at school tomorrow…We can all have a lie in…"

"Can we go to the park too?"

"Sure, that's a good idea." Molly replied, as Laura climbed into bed. "But now you got to go to sleep."

"Okay…" She yawned as she led down.

Molly stayed with her, gently stroking her hair and was surprised that she was asleep within 10 minutes. She had also expected Charles to come up and say goodnight but when she walked back into the kitchen she found he had finished cleaning up.

"Thanks…Saves one job to do in the morning."

He gave her a small smile as he put the last saucepan away.

"She pretty much went to sleep straight away." Molly told him. "I thought we'd be up all night with her if she had a nightmare…"

"She didn't."

"What?"

"She didn't have a nightmare…She'd have to go to sleep first to have a nightmare."

"What does that mean?"

"Debs was having a party."

"You what?!"

"Yep and it was too noisy for Laura to sleep." He explained, letting out a loud sigh as he dropped down into one of the kitchen chairs. "When I got there and saw all those people…all drinking, shouting, swearing… I was so angry."

"What the hell was she thinking?" Molly crossed over to him and sat down on his lap.

He hugged her tightly to him and buried his face into her neck. "Debs tried to explain to me what was going on…something about celebrating someone going off travelling or something…apparently it was just a couple of friends but more people turned up….but I couldn't stand there and listen to her…She was drunk and didn't seem to care about Laura…So, I just grabbed her and got out of there."

"Good…You did the right thing."

"She hadn't even unpacked her bags." He said quietly. "And Laura, she was so pleased to see me…That's not normal, is it? She should want to stay with her Mum."

"Yeah, well Laura just told me she wanted to come home…." Molly replied. "To her, this is her home."

"I'm going to speak to my lawyer tomorrow…"

"What?"

"I can't let her go back there, Moll…" He told her. "I want to speak to my lawyer and see what we can do…See if it's possible at all to get full custody of her."

"Okay…" Molly didn't hesitate.

"I know this isn't what we planned…That we were going to start a family of our own…"

"Hey…" She cut in, gently lifting his chin so he was looking at her. "Remember…The kids always come first…I know part of you wants to do this for Elvis…to step in where he can't but I also know you want to do this because you already love that little girl like she's your own and so do I…So weather that's Sam, Laura or any babies that come along…They are all our kids."

He stared at her for a moment before giving her a brief kiss and then rested his forehead against hers. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know…" She traced circles with her thumb against his cheek. "We should go to bed… Cos she might have only gone to sleep but I'm betting she'll still be getting up before 8am."

Charles glanced at his watch and groaned when he saw the time.

"And I'm pretty sure you promised me breakfast in bed too…" Molly continued, getting to her feet.

"I don't remember that." He followed her towards the stairs. "Besides, I cooked dinner…It should be me getting breakfast in bed."

"Yeah right…In your dreams, Mate." She laughed at him.

He rolled his eyes at her and came to a stop outside Laura's bedroom. "I'll just check on her…"

"You wake her and you can sit up with her for the rest of the night." Molly warned him.

"I'll just be 2 seconds." He claimed, quietly creeping into the room and smiled when he saw her sleeping peacefully. He readjusted her covers; made sure her stuffed dog was securely in her arms and kissed her forehead before slipping back out again.

He was about to carry on in to his and Molly's room but stopped and turned to walk the other way. He quietly pushed open the door to what they had always called the spare bedroom but was in actual fact had been Elvis'. They still had a lot of his stuff…Georgie and his family had taken a few items but they left most things there for Laura.

There were photo albums and photo frames scattered on his bed as Laura was forever looking at them. Charles reached down and picked up one picture of him, Elvis and Laura that had been taken when she was a baby. Elvis still looked terrified to have her in his arms, worried that he would drop her.

"I'm not going to let you or her down, Mate…" He whispered. "I promise."

The next morning, Molly had been right; Laura had woken them up just after 7:30am despite the late night. As promised, Charles got up and delivered them both breakfast so they all watched cartoons in bed.

Before lunch, Molly and Laura headed to the park to give Charles chance to talk to his lawyer without Laura there to overhear but before he could make the phone call, Debs turned up on the doorstep.

He knew from just looking at her, she was hungover but she was full of apologizes for what happened. She tearfully admitted that she didn't know how to be a mother, especially to a little girl who was missing her Dad so much. Charles couldn't help but feel sorry for her but it didn't change his mind…He had to put Laura's wellbeing first and told Debs that he and Molly wanted Laura to live with them full time. She shocked him further by agreeing with him and told him she had a job offer and a chance of a fresh start in France but had been reluctant to take it because it would have meant uprooting Laura.

Charles wanted to be angry at her for abandoning her daughter but there was a selfish part of him that was happy about it because it meant they would get to keep her. She left again before Molly and Laura got back and Charles didn't hesitate in contacting his lawyer, eager to get the ball rolling.

The next few months that followed consisted of endless amounts of paperwork, visits from social workers, and even more physiological evaluations but neither Charles nor Molly ever doubted what they were doing.

 **Right, so the next and final part will be up soon. I've written most of it…just got one and half scenes to do! Will Molly, Charles and Laura get their happy endings? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, here's the last chapter! As promised, it's pretty long! Hope you like it! Please review and let me know!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Missing in Photographs**

Charles was only half listening to Sam telling him all about the sleepover he had at his friend's the night before as they tossed the rugby ball back and forward in the back garden. Molly had taken Laura out shopping, giving him chance to spend some time with his son. It had been three weeks since he had to go and collect Laura from Debs'. Laura already had some belongings at their place but what little had been sent over by her mum were all old, too small or too worn. If Laura was going to stay with them permanently then they wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.

Throwing the ball back to Sam, Charles threw it little too high and it sailed over his head. It landed by the large apple tree and Sam jogged over to get it.

"Scamp, why don't we sit down for a moment and talk?" Charles crossed the garden to join him, gesturing to the 3-seater garden swing that Molly insisted they brought when they first moved in.

"Okay…"

Charles waited until Sam sat beside him before using his foot to start them swinging. "There's something I need to talk to you about…"

"Have I done something wrong?"

"No, Scamp." Charles assured him. "It's about Laura…"

"What about her?"

"I wanted to talk to you because Laura might be coming to live with us."

"But she already does stay here." Sam frowned in confusion.

"Well, yes she does but we want her to come and live with us properly."

"What about her Mum?"

"The thing is, Sam…Laura's Mum, she's not able to look after Laura and needs some help." Charles tried to explain. "She might be moving away to France and Molly and I have said that Laura can stay here with us."

"How long for?"

"Well, I'm not really sure, Scamp but I'm hoping it'll be permanently."

"So, you and Molly will be like her parents?" Sam questioned. "Which would mean she would be my sister?"

"Yeah, what do you think about that?"

Sam shrugged. "I dunno…Do I have to do anything differently?"

"No, Sam…It'll just mean that Laura will be here with us when you come and stay." Charles told him. "Just like it is now…You guys get along pretty well, right?"

"Yeah, she's okay for a girl." Sam replied, pulling a face which made Charles laugh. "But won't her mum miss her?"

"Yeah, of course she will and I'm sure Laura will still be able to talk to her and see her but we just think it's best if she stays with us."

Although he had briefly discussed with Debs about having custody of Laura and his lawyer had started dealing with all the paperwork, they hadn't actually discussed the details.

Sam had a thoughtful look on his face, a look that Molly called his 'Captain' face as apparently it was the same one Charles pulled when he was weighing up tactical manoeuvres.

"Well, it'll be okay cos Molly is a good second mum." Sam stated, seriously.

Charles felt a lump form in his throat at his words. "Yeah, Scamp she is…"

Sam looked up at him and grinned before getting to his feet and picking up the rugby ball again. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we get a takeaway for dinner?"

Charles couldn't help but laugh. "Better not, you're Mum already thinks all we feed you is takeaways…But how about we go to Tesco's and get stuff to make our own pizzas? We can have a competition to see who makes the best."

"Only if we don't get Molly any pineapple to put on hers… Cos pineapple on pizza is wrong."

Charles stood up. "You got a deal… Come on; let's go before the girls get back."

 _ **XxXxX**_

"Come on in…" Beck ushered Charles into his office. "Take a seat."

Charles waited until the other man was seated behind the desk before sitting down.

"Thank you, Sir…"

"So, how have things been?" Beck questioned. "I've been kept updated with the reports from the therapist you've been seeing...She seemed pleased with your progress."

"Yes, Sir." Charles nodded, he was aware and had given permission for Beck to be given regular updates. "It was difficult to begin with but I have to admit, it's helped."

Beck nodded. "I'm glad to hear it…Now; it's been six months since you took leave… As you're aware, 2 Section did a tour in Nigeria and Belize…I won't go into details but there were some issues and it seemed they had trouble communicating with the replacement captain."

Charles resisted the urge to roll his eyes, guessing it was Beck's way of saying they had been disobeying orders.

"Next month they are due to be deployed to Bangladesh…" Beck continued. "And I can safely say everyone is eager to have you back."

Charles' mind began to whirl; the therapy sessions he had done had helped more then he thought possible and he felt much more in control but for the first time in his career he wasn't jumping at the chance to go on tour. He knew that was because of his family.

"What do you think?" Beck questioned.

Charles took a deep breath. "Sir, while I feel like I'm ready to return to duties I'm not so sure about going on another tour so soon."

Beck gave him a small smile. "I had a feeling you might say that."

"You did?"

"I understand Elvis Harte's daughter is living with you?"

"Yes, Sir…Molly and I were granted full custody of her a month ago." Charles explained. "We are currently trying to make things more permanent by officially adopting Laura."

Beck nodded a little. "And I'm guessing you're not ready to leave them?"

"Things have finally started to settle…Laura's nightmares have pretty much stopped and she's making good progress with her therapist too… Sam is finally settled in a routine going between us and his mother's…they're both doing really well at school." Charles started to explain. "Molly has been fantastic about it all and I really don't feel right about abandoning her or them…"

"I understand, Charles." Beck told him. "I've also spoken with the Brigadier…He told me the two of you had a conversation before you went to Nepal about taking a UK based role…"

"Yes, Sir…"

"There's an opening here at the base….It would mean training new recruits." Beck informed him. "It's only a six month contract with the option to extend but it would also mean you could return to active duty when and if you felt ready…"

Charles considered the offer; when he thought about staying in the UK rather than going on tour, he thought he would be stuck behind a desk somewhere. This might not give him the excitement that he would normally get from a tour but it was better than doing paperwork all day or walking away from the army completely.

"We'll give you a few days to think about it and talk it over with Molly."

"Sir." He nodded.

"We are looking forward to having you back, Charles." Beck claimed. "And if there is anything else we can do to help then please don't hesitate to come and speak with me."

"Yes, Sir…Thank you, Sir."

 _ **XxXxX**_

Charles walked into the canteen and spotted her straight away. He nodded in acknowledgement to the three soldiers who got to their feet when they saw him.

Georgie set down her mug and stood up to stand to attention when he reached her table and Charles felt a sense of Déjà vu.

"At ease, Lane." He told her and moved to sit opposite her.

"You're not here to ask me to be your medic again, are you, Sir?"

Charles tilted his head slightly. "I don't think 2 section would be too pleased if I stole you away a week before tour."

"Is it too much to hope you're here to tell me that you've changed your mind and you'll be joining us in Bangladesh?"

"You're out of luck there too, I'm afraid." Charles gave her a small smile. "Captain Burns isn't that bad is he?"

"Nah, he's alright…just a little stiff…Doesn't like to get involved too much." Georgie replied as she sipped her tea. "He doesn't really have a sense of humour at all…"

"Maybe you lot just aren't as funny as you thought."

Georgie let out a laugh and shook her head slightly. "Might be right there, Boss…So, if you're not here to save us from spending 8 weeks humour free…was there something I can help you with?"

"I just wanted to check in with you." Charles told her "See how you're doing?"

Georgie thought about her answer before speaking. "I'm okay …Doing better… I still miss him but I'd imagine I'll always miss him."

Charles nodded understandingly. "And being back with 2 Section…going on tour…Is that helping?"

"It really is." Georgie nodded. "I feel like I'm doing something….getting on with my life."

"Good…I'm glad it's helping."

"What about you, Boss?"

"I'm happy." He admitted. "Being able to go home to my family everyday… It's what I need at the moment."

"And Laura?"

"She's good." Charles couldn't help but smile. "She's just like Elvis…Too smart for her own good sometimes and always up to something… Except, she's developing Molly's attitude… I dread to think what she'll be like once she's a teenager."

Georgie grinned. "I don't envy you, Boss…"

"Thanks, Lane…"

"So, I heard Laura is going to be staying with you officially."

"Yeah…" He nodded. "We all thought it was the best solution…"

"I was speaking with Elvis' Mum…She said you and Molly are adopting her."

"We're trying too…Just dealing with all the paperwork now." Charles looked down at his hands. "Debs is moving to France and Laura needs stability so it just seems like the right thing to do."

"He'd be happy, you know." Georgie said quietly. "After all that stuff with Jamie and when he was trying to get back together with me…He used to say he wanted to have what you and Molly had… So, I know there's no one else in this world that he would want to look after his little girl then you two."

"I just hope I don't let any of them down…"

Georgie shook her head. "I don't think you can, Boss…Laura's lucky to have you and Molly."

Charles gave her a small smile before clearing his throat. "There was something else I wanted to speak to you about…"

"Boss?"

"I had an interesting conversation the other day…."

"Oh yeah?" Georgie raised an eyebrow. "With who?"

"A one Sargent Ryan Peters…"

Georgie's eyes widened. "I don't know what he said to you but…"

Charles held up his hand. "Relax, Georgie…He heard I used to be 2 Section's Captain and asked if I knew you…"

"Yeah, well I wished he hadn't."

"He's a good guy…A nice guy."

"We're just friends…"

"Okay…"

"There's no way I'm going out with a squaddie again." She claimed. "And it just wouldn't be right…"

"Look, Georgie… I don't know Ryan too well but I know he's got a good reputation and is well thought of but if you're not interested that's fine." Charles leaned a little over the table. "And I can certainly understand you wanting to steer clear of anyone in the army…"

"But?" Georgie predicted.

"But if you think you cannot go on a date with someone because of what people would say or because you think you'll be disrespecting Elvis' memory then you're wrong…" Charles told her.

"It's only been 9 months." She whispered, staring down into her empty mug.

"There's no time limit on these things, Georgie." He said softly. "Only you will know when you're ready but please, please don't stop yourself from being happy because you're worried about how it will look…That's the last thing Elvis would want."

Georgie looked up at him again, thinking over his words. "You really think Ryan is a nice guy?"

Charles gave her a smile. "Well, you can tell him if he doesn't treat you right, he'll have me, Molly, 2 Section and Special Forces to deal with."

Georgie laughed. "I think that might scare him off, Boss."

"Oh I don't know…He might surprise you." Charles grinned and stood up. "I better get on…It was good to catch up, Lane."

"Yes, Boss it was…"

"Oh and try and get everyone to listen to your Captain…" Charles asked her, jokingly. "Beck keeps threatening to drop you all off at my house to sort you out…"

"I'll try my best, boss but you know what the lads are like."

"Yes, unfortunately I do." He sighed before he turned to walk away.

"Hey, Boss?" Georgie stood up, calling after him.

He turned back. "Yeah?"

"You were wrong about what you said earlier…"

He frowned in confusion. "And what was that?"

"When you said, you used to be two Section's Captain…" She stated. "You still are…"

Charles hesitated a little before replying. "The thing is, Georgie I'm not sure…"

"It doesn't matter if you never come back, Sir…" Georgie cut in. "You'll always be our Captain…Always be 2 Section's Bossman."

He was touched by her words and a smile spread across his face. He gave her a small nod before turning and leaving.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Charles couldn't force himself to stand up from where he was sat on the stairs even though he was meant to be helping Molly cook dinner. He wasn't surprised when he looked down the small hallway and saw his wife stood leaning against the kitchen doorframe, looking just as concerned as he felt. They both could just barely make out the conversation that was happening between Debs and Laura in the front room.

"But where's France?" Laura questioned.

"Not far…" Debs tried to reassure her. "A couple of hours away…"

"Why are you going there?"

"To work, baby."

"Am I going with you?"

There was a pause and Charles and Molly shared a worried look.

"Do you want to?"

"I like it here." Laura claimed.

"Well, that's good because Uncle Charlie and Aunty Molly want you to stay with them."

"Really? I get to stay here all the time?"

"Yeah…" Debs nodded, her voice shaking a little as she tried to keep a hold of her emotion when she saw how excited her daughter was at the idea. "I spoke with them both and if its okay with you they would like to adopt you."

Laura's head tilted to the side. "What does that mean?"

"It means that they will always look after you." Debs tried to explain. "They will be your parents…"

"Does that mean you won't be my mum anymore?" Laura asked sadly.

"No, baby…I will always be your Mum and nothing is going to change that." Debs promised. "But you're lucky because you get Molly as your Mum too."

"I get two Mums?"

"Yeah." Debs smiled. "So, what do you think?"

"If I stay here, won't you be sad?"

Debs ran a hand through Laura's hair. "I will miss you so much but I know Aunty Molly and Uncle Charlie will look after you…And you can come visit."

"Can Uncle Charlie and Aunty Molly come too?" Laura asked. "And Sam?"

Tears burned in Debs' eyes; she was certain that Charles and Molly would love and take good care of her daughter but she could also tell Laura felt very much a part of their family.

"Of course…they can all come."

"Cool." She grinned widely.

"Now you need to promise me some things." Debs subtly tried to wipe away the stray tears that rolled down her face. "You need to listen to Uncle Charlie and Aunty Molly…and do try your hardest at school…And remember I love you very much."

"I love you too!" Laura climbed onto her lap and hugged her tightly.

Charles finally stood up and quietly made his way down the hall towards his wife. Molly reached for his hand as they both entered the kitchen.

"We are doing the right thing, aren't we?" Molly looked up at him. "She's her mother."

For the first time, Charles felt a little conflicted but it didn't change the fact that even before Elvis' death Laura spent most of her time with them. More than ever Laura needed stability that Debs just wasn't able to offer. He also had to remind himself that Debs had agreed to this herself and Laura seemed happy with the idea of staying with them.

"It's the best thing for Laura." Charles told her softly, pulling her into his arms. "And it's not like we're stealing her away… Debs will be able to see and talk to her whenever she wants."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "She's just been through so much already…"

"I know but she's doing better." Charles replied. "And being dragged to France with Debs won't help."

"I know." She whispered.

They both turned when they heard the living room door open and close again quietly.

"Debs?" Charles walked towards her, still holding Molly's hand.

Debs was leaning back against the door, tears streaming down her face. "She's doing some drawing."

"Are you okay?" Molly asked.

Debs nodded. "I know it's for the best but it's hard, you know…just not knowing when I'll be able to get back to see her again."

"Well, when you can, you just let us know…We'll make sure you can see her." Charles promised.

"And she's pretty good at Skype." Molly added. "Whenever Elvis or Charles was away on tour, she always used it to speak to them."

Debs ran her hands over her face, brushing away the tears. "Thank you."

"You're always going to be her Mum, Debs." Molly stepped forward and hugged her. "We'll never stop you having a relationship with her…"

Debs returned the hug before stepping back. "I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for you two… I don't think I would have been able to get her through it."

"I don't think you realize how much she has helped _me_ get through it." Charles stated.

"I'm glad." Debs gave him a small smile. "I better go."

"Are you sure?" Molly questioned. "You could stay for dinner?"

"Best not." She shook her head. "It'll just make it harder if I stay…Besides, I leave for France in a few days and I still got packing to get done."

"Okay, well call us as soon as you can." Molly said as they all moved to the front door.

"My solicitor told me all the paperwork is in hand so it won't be long now until its all official." Debs claimed as Charles opened the door for her. "But let me know if there's anything else I need to do."

"Of course." Charles nodded.

"And thank you…I know you'll do a good job of taking care of her."

"We love her like she's one of our own." Molly replied. "You don't need to thank us."

"I know you do…that's what makes this a little easier."

"Take care of yourself, Debs." Charles said, putting an arm around Molly as they watched the other woman make her way down the path.

She turned to give them another smile but said no more. They waited until she had disappeared from sight before stepping back into the house.

"What's for dinner?" Laura asked, coming out of the living room.

"I was going to make a cottage pie." Molly told her.

"Can I help?"

"Yeah, of course." Molly picked her up.

"And can we have ice cream for dessert?"

"Sorry, Beautiful…We haven't got any."

Charles laughed out loud when they both turned and pouted at him.

"Oh, I'm guessing you want me to go get some?"

"Chocolate, please!" Laura grinned.

"Fine, if my girls want ice cream then I shall go get some." He bowed jokingly before stepping forward and kissing them both on the forehead.

"You're such a dork." Molly rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help but smile.

"A dork you married." He winked at her as he pulled on his jacket.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Once again Georgie found herself wondering if she was crossing a line as she stood in the door to the gym at the base and watched her ex-captain sprinting on the treadmill. She could hear his music pounding loudly through his headphones even from across the room.

It was late and there was no one else around, which Georgie was grateful for. She was pretty sure he was going to tell her to get lost. She remembered Elvis once telling her that Charles always insisted they run outside because running on the treadmill made him feel like he was running and running never getting anywhere so she was surprised to find him hitting that certain piece of equipment so hard.

Suddenly the music stopped and the sound of the thumping on the treadmill slowed. She looked up and saw him staring at her.

"What are you doing here, Lane?" He asked slightly out of breath and stepped off the machine.

"Well, it's a gym…" She pushed away from the doorway and walked into the room fully.

"You're going to work out in your jeans and heels on a Saturday night in your own time?" He raised an eyebrow and reached for a towel to wipe away the sweat from his face.

"Fine, I was looking for you."

"Okay…" He crossed the room towards the exercise bikes. "What can I do for you?"

"Boss, you're limping." She frowned in concern and moved closer to him.

"It's fine." He claimed.

"Maybe you should give it rest for the night…" She advised.

"What do you want, Lane?" He ignored her and started cycling.

She sighed. "Molly is worried about you."

"And she called you?"

"Yeah, for some reason she thought I would be the right person to speak to you." Georgie climbed up onto the bike next to him but just sat there without cycling.

"Georgie…"

"You're Laura's Dad…." She cut him off.

He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her. "She already has a Dad."

"He's gone, Boss and no matter how much we wish we can change it, we can't." Georgie told him. "You're here and Laura loves you so much ….And I know you love her too."

"Of course I do but…"

"But what?"

He sighed and started cycling again but this time at a much slower pace. "When Debs came by to tell Laura she was moving to France…She explained to her about Molly and I adopting her and Laura asked if she was still going to be her Mum…Debs told her that she was lucky because it meant she had two mums."

"And that's when Laura started calling Molly, Mum?"

"It was a couple of days later when she was saying goodnight…You should have seen Molly's face." Charles couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I don't think I've ever seen her so happy…She's a great medic and nurse but she's a fantastic Mum…Even to kids who aren't technically hers."

"So, this was what? 3 months ago?" Georgie questioned and he nodded. "And Laura called you Daddy for the first time last night?"

Georgie saw him tense and started to increase the speed he was cycling.

"Did you speak with her about it?" Georgie continued.

"What was I meant to say?" He asked.

"Nothing… unless, you don't want to be her Dad?"

"She already has a Dad." Charles insisted again.

"She already had a Mum but it doesn't seem to bother you that she's calling Molly Mum."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because Elvis didn't willingly walk away from her…He was taken."

"He died."

"Yes, thank you, Lane." He glared at her before facing forwards again and going even faster. "I remember."

"She is always going to be Elvis' daughter and I know she's going to grow up with not only his eyes, hair and cheeky grin but with memories of him…" Georgie climbed off the bike and moved so she was stood in front of him. "But Boss, she's only going to know those things because of what people tell her…She's was only 4 when he died…she's not going to remember much herself."

He started to slow again as he stared at her. "Jesus, Lane…Did you come here to make me feel better because you're doing a great job?!"

"I'm trying too…" She replied, ignoring his sarcasm. "What I mean is, she's going to remember the man who made her feel safe after a nightmare…the man who makes her laugh and reads her bedtime stories…the one who will ground her when she's a teenager because she comes home too late…The one she asks to walk down the aisle and be grandfather to her kids…"

"I can't replace him, Georgie…" He whispered. "Not with her."

"Someone should, Boss." Georgie told him. "And Elvis would want it to be you."

"She was his life."

"I know." Georgie nodded. "Which is why I know he would be okay with this."

Charles rubbed his eyes. "I don't know…"

"And what about when you and Molly have kids of your own?" Georgie questioned. "How do you think she'll feel?"

"We'd never treat her any differently!" Charles claimed.

"Of course you wouldn't…but she would be surrounded by all these other kids…all calling you Daddy while she is still stuck with just 'Uncle Charlie'…." Georgie pointed out. "She's too little to never call someone Daddy again…"

"I just….I don't want people to forget about him." He admitted. "Or to think I'm happy with how things turned out because now I got this beautiful daughter who means the absolute world to me…"

"We won't let them forget about Elvis." She shook her head. "And the people who really matter would never ever think for a second you are happy about Elvis not being around…Besides, everyone knows she meant the world to you and Molly before all this happened… She's always been a part of your family…they both were."

"I guess you're right."

"Remember what you said to me, boss?" Georgie started, giving him a small smile. "Don't stop yourself from being happy because you're worrying about how it will look…That's the last thing Elvis would want."

"Oh, so you can hear when a captain is talking then…"

"Only at certain times." Georgie shot back. "I'm guessing you heard about Bangladesh…"

"I heard a lot about Bangladesh…Mainly, you lot disobeying your captain's orders and jumping off a cliff into a river."

"We were cornered and there was no way we were going to be able to fight our way out…Kingy tried to talk to Burns about it but he was having none of it…" Georgie told him. "When Kingy said there was no way he was staying to be a sitting target and was going to jump anyway, we all decided to follow him...Even Burns."

"Yes, well I can't imagine he relished the idea of facing a group of insurgents by himself." Charles replied.

"What would you have done, boss?"

"Like him, I would have no choice but to jump and then put you all up on a charge for disobeying my orders…you're just lucky he didn't."

"We wouldn't have disobeyed your orders, Sir…but I meant, would you have told us to stay and fight?"

"You all took a bloody big risk making that jump….But I would have done the same...It was unlikely any of you would have survived if you would have stayed and tried to fight." He told her. "And that's what I said to the Brig when he asked for my opinion."

"The brigadier spoke with you?"

"Yes, he's not sure if I have some magical power that is able to control you lot or if you've always been this bad and I've just been covering up…"

"Maybe they should be looking at Captain Burns…"

"Maybe you guys need to follower orders…"

"But you just said if we did then we'd be dead…"

"Well, obviously not in those situations but general day to day orders." Charles replied. "Like not getting involved with the locals or like Monk and Fingers chasing after a truck like they're playing Grand Theft Auto…"

Georgie winced. "You heard about that…"

"And a lot more."

"Maybe you need to come back and sort us out, boss."

"Sorry, Lane…" Charles got off the bike. "I'm enjoying my life at home with my wife, son and daughter…"

"Okay, boss…Any other reason I'd try and talk you out of it but for them, I won't." Georgie smiled. "Are you sure your leg is okay?"

"Just an old war wound." He assured her. "I think I over did it on the treadmill."

"You best get home and get checked out by your medic then…"

"You're best idea yet, Lane." Charles replied before turning serious again. "Thanks, Georgie."

"Well, you've given me a kick up the backside enough times…about time I returned the favour."

After spending all day avoiding the place, Charles suddenly had a strong need to be at home with his family. Grabbing a shower at the gym, he headed home stopping to get two bunches of flowers. When he walked into the house, Molly stepped out of the living room into the hallway.

"Hey…" He said softly.

"Hey…I was wondering when you were going to come home."

"Sorry, got caught up at work."

She shot him a look telling him she didn't believe him but didn't say anymore.

"These are for you." He pulled a bunch of flowers from behind his back.

She fought a smile and shook her head slightly. "They're lovely, thank you…"

"And these are for you…" He crouched down and produced another bunch when he spotted Laura peering around the doorframe.

Her eyes widened. "You brought me flowers?"

"Yeah, to say sorry for being so grumpy." He told her as she moved towards him and took hold of them.

She looked up at Molly. "Look, Mummy… We both got flowers."

"I think we better watch out, Beautiful…We got a right little charmer on our hands here." Molly replied causing Charles to laugh.

"Are you still mad at me?" Laura asked him.

"Oh sweetheart, I was never mad at you."

"You weren't?" She frowned. "But I thought you were cos I called you Daddy."

"I wasn't mad, I promise." He told her softly, brushing her hair away from her face. "I was just a little sad…"

"Why?"

"Because it made me miss your Dad a little."

"Oh…Would he be mad at me?"

"No, Beautiful he wouldn't be…He'd want you to be the happiest you could be." Charles told her.

Laura wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I made you sad."

He hugged her back for a moment before pulling back to look at her. "You, Miss Laura have made me very happy because there is nothing I want more in the world then to be your Daddy."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really."

She fell into his arms again and Charles kissed the top of her head before looking up at Molly, seeing tears in her eyes as she watched them.

"Mummy, can Daddy watch the movie with us?" Laura turned to Molly.

"Yeah, of course." Molly choked a little on the words. "But first, go and get your pyjamas on and I'll put the flowers in some water."

"Okay." She grinned widely and ran up the stairs.

"You okay?" Molly asked him.

"Yeah, I am…I'm sorry for hiding away." He replied, from his position still crouched on the floor.

"I understand." She assured him. "You sure you're going to be okay with all this."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I am…She needs a Dad…I signed up for that and I do want to do it…I guess, it just hit me she'll never call Elvis Daddy again."

"You know he would want you to do this, don't you?" She ran her fingers through his hair.

"So people keep telling me…" He gave her a small smile. "And if the role were reversed, I'd want him to do the same with Sam."

She leaned down and pressed her lips against his forehead. "Have you eaten anything at all today?"

"Not really…not since earlier."

"How about when Laura's gone to bed, we order a takeaway and open a bottle of wine?"

"Sounds perfect…"

"I'll be right back…" She turned to head towards the kitchen.

"Um, Moll?"

"Yeah?" She glanced back at him.

"You might gonna need to help me up." He grimaced lightly. "I might have over done it at the gym."

 **XxXxX**

"Come on, please, Molls."

"Move out the way…" She pushed past Brains and Fingers to empty a bag of crisps into a bowl.

"Just say you'll help us…" Fingers continued.

She rolled her eyes. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Cos you love us?" Brains suggested.

"Yeah, right." She snorted.

"That's not a no…." Fingers said teasingly.

"Just get out the bloody kitchen and let me sort this food out." Molly gave them both a shove towards the door.

"And then you'll help us?"

"Out!"

"Love you, Molls." They both called as they disappeared from sight.

She shook her head and let out a long breath before looking around the kitchen. Why she thought this was a good idea she had no clue.

Georgie and Maisy entered the kitchen, causing her to glare at them warningly.

"Hey, we only came in to see if you need any help…." Georgie said quickly, holding her hands up.

"I think everything is done."

"So, now all we need is the birthday boy." Georgie pinched a crisp from the table.

"He should only be another 15 minutes or so." She had sent him to the cinema with Laura and Sam, telling him they had wanted to treat him for his birthday. He was then dropping them off at his parents' house so they could send the evening just the two of them.

She had been planning to surprise him by taking him to a nice restaurant for dinner but 2 Section turning up on the doorstep, claiming they wanted to wish the Bossman a happy birthday had caused her to change her plans. So instead, she was trying to find some snacks to put out until they ordered some pizzas later.

Even though he had been surprised how much he actually enjoyed his new role on base, she knew he missed his old section and would be pleased to see them. Plus, his parents had already offered to take the kids for an extra night so they could go out the next evening.

"So, you gonna help us or what?"

"Maisy?!" Georgie glared at her.

"What? Just askin…" She shrugged. "Besides, thought we were doing good cop, bad cop."

Molly couldn't help but laugh at them and handed Maisy a plate of carrot sticks, celery and peppers. "Just take this and the hummus through."

Her and Georgie followed her with the rest of the snacks and entered the living room just as Rab looked up expectantly at Maisy. "Well, what did she say?"

"You lot really are pathetic, you know that right?" Molly stated.

"In our defence, we do know that." Kingy added.

"Please, Moll…"

"What makes you think I can help you?"

"He listens to you…." Brains claimed.

"Who told you that?" She joked.

"We can just tell…Cos you two are like a proper couple, ain't it…"

"Very eloquently put, Fingers." Kingy said sarcastically patting him on the back.

"You know what I mean…you work well together…A good team…always was…even back in Afghan." Fingers continued. "You're like one of them couples from one of them films…"

"What the hell are you twittering on about, you melon?" Molly pulled a face at him.

"You know…You and the Bossman…"

"Fingers shut the fuck up…"

"See, you even sound like him!" Fingers flung a hand out in her direction.

"Oi!" She threw a carrot stick at him. "I ain't no Rupert!"

"Ah, there's our Dawesy." Brains put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.

"You can get lost as well, mate…" Molly jokingly shoved him away just as they heard the front door opening. "That'll be him."

"Shall we hide?" Rab asked.

"We're not five, Kalil." Kingy shot him a look. "Next you'll be asking for jelly and ice cream."

"There is cake though, right?" Monk questioned causing Kingy to roll his eyes, not knowing whether he was joking or not.

"Surprise!" They all called out when the door opened and Charles stepped into the room.

"Oh god…" He stared at them with mock horror. "Beck has finally done it…He's finally had enough and dropped you all off here!"

"Oi, don't be mean…" Georgie stood up and walked towards him with a gift bag in her hand. "We came to wish you happy birthday!"

He looked across at his wife. "Did you know about this?"

"Nope, for once in their lives they were able to keep something secret." Molly replied.

"Here." Georgie handed him the bag. "This is from all of us."

"Well, I can't hear it ticking…" He said jokingly. "Is it safe to open?"

"We're hurt, boss!" Fingers clutched his hands to his chest. "We put a lot of thought into that!"

Charles reached into the bag and first pulled out a box of Rosabya capsules and then a white mug with 'Bossman' on it in a camouflage pattern.

"There is one more thing…" Maisy told him with a grin.

Charles raised an eyebrow, they all seemed too eager for him to open the remaining present. Setting the mug and the coffee down, he took it out. He hesitated, a little before removing the tissue paper to reveal a white t-shirt then laughed out loud when he unfolded it to see printed on the front was a photograph of them all from a night out just before they went to Nepal.

"Well, 2 Section…I must say, you've out done yourself." He shook his head then gave them a small smile "Thank you…It means a lot."

"Happy birthday, Bossman." Kingy toasted, holding up his bottle of beer.

"Bossman!" The rest joined in.

"I'll get you a drink." Molly stood up, squeezing his arm as she moved past him to head to the kitchen.

"Excuse me." Charles said to the others in the room before following her.

"The kids okay?" She asked, hearing someone behind her and knowing it would be him.

"Yep and we had a lovely afternoon…Thank you….You should have seen Sam…He looked really pleased with himself, going up to the counter and paying for the tickets and popcorn for us all… He seemed so grown up. " He smiled at the memory of his son announcing he was treating when they arrived at the cinema, even though he was pretty sure Molly had given him the money before they left home. He turned her around to face him and pulled her into his arms. "We missed you though."

"Well, I thought it would be nice for the three of you to spend some time together…" She replied. "Plus, it was meant to be just us tonight."

"If you made plans, I can tell them lot to get lost…" He started.

"No, don't." She shook her head. "Your parents already said they can have the kids an extra night…your mum even said they might take them to Weston tomorrow for the day… So, we got all of tomorrow to do what I have planned…"

He kissed her forehead. "You're amazing, you know that?"

She grinned up at him. "So, we gonna tell them?"

"Might as well…get it over with since they're here."

"Get it over with?! Well, that's bleedin romantic…"

"You know I can do romantic…" he claimed, putting a finger under her chin to tilt her face so she was looking up at him before pressing his lips against hers.

"Hey, Bossman…you got any more….Drinks…" Fingers trailed off when he saw them and then grinned. "Oops…Sorry."

"In the fridge." Molly told him as Charles groaned quietly and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Cheers…" He grinned, grabbing a six pack and headed back out the kitchen. "Carry on…"

"Is it too late to kick them all out?" Charles asked, tightening his hold on her.

"Come on…we better get back in there before Fingers over exaggerates what he saw."

"We're probably too late for that." Charles quipped but allowed her to pull him back towards the living room.

The minute they stepped back into the room, everyone fell silent. All of them staring at the two of them, fighting the urge to start to laugh.

"What are you lot, bleedin five years old?" Molly rolled her eyes at them.

"Alright, stop the smirking." Charles ordered. "I might not be your Captain at the moment but I can still make sure you're on latrine clean for the foreseeable!"

"I never said nuthin…" Fingers claimed, holding up his hands innocently.

"Shut the fuck up, Fingers…" Charles shot at him.

"Told you!" Fingers grinned at Molly. "Just like him!"

Molly shook her head slightly when her husband looked at her questionably. "Don't ask."

"So, have you asked him, yet?"

"Maisy…." Georgie sighed, giving her a look.

"What? We might as well get it over with." She shrugged. "Then we can start drinking properly."

"Asked me what?" Charles questioned, ignoring the last part.

"Hey, nothing to do with me." Molly claimed.

"What's going on?" Charles looked at the others when no one spoke.

Suddenly the room erupted with them all talking at once, speaking over one another until Kingy whistled loudly, causing them all to shut up.

"We want to know if you're planning on coming back, boss." The sergeant told him. "This was this lots way of saying we miss you."

"Ah…I'm sorry guys but I've just extended my contract." Charles informed them. "I'll be staying where I am for the next year."

"No, come on, boss…You know you miss being on tour!" Rab stated.

Charles shrugged a little. "Not that much, no…"

"Boss, do you really want to be stuck here training the new likes of Fingers and Monk when can be with us?" Brains asked before getting shoved by both men mentioned.

"The plan is to reach them before they turn into the likes of you Cockwombles." Charles shot back.

"Moll! Tell him!"

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him to come on tour with us again!" Fingers told her. "Stop hogging him!"

"Hogging him?!" Molly laughed. "He's my bleedin husband, you prannet!"

"Okay, this is getting weird now…" Charles said.

"Yeah, I second that…" Georgie agreed.

"Besides, maybe I don't want my husband….the father of my baby to go away and play soldiers for months on end."

"He never used to be like this…you changed him." Fingers pointed at her accusingly, although she knew he was only joking.

"Yeah and the kid isn't even a baby anymore…She's what? Like 13 or something?" Monk added.

Georgie turned and stared at him in amazement. "She's 5."

"I dunno, do I? I don't hang around with little kids!"

"Thank god for that." Brains muttered.

Kingy looked around the room, shaking his head slightly when he realized that no one had twigged what Molly had said.

"You bunch of muppets!" He told them before looking back to the captain and couldn't help but return the big grin he had on his face. "Is this for real?"

"Yep, it's not common knowledge yet….we was going to wait a couple more days but since you're all here."

"That's great news, Boss!" Kingy got up, kissed Molly on the cheek and then held out his hand to Charles. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Kingy…"

"Oh my god!" Brains was the next to work out what was going on and jumped to his feet. "Molly?! You're….?!"

She nodded as one of her oldest friends struggled to get his words out and then laughed when he picked her up and swung her around.

"Oi, put my wife down…That's an order."

"Sorry, Sir…" Brains grinned at him before reaching out and shaking his captain's hand. "I'm made up for you both!"

"Wait…I don't get it." Monk looked confused as the others in the room were slowly working it out.

"Okay, for anyone who still doesn't realize….In just a little less than 6 months' time, Molly and I will be having a baby."

The room erupted with noise again, this time in celebration but when Georgie hugged him, he frowned when he realized she had tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing…happy tears, I promise." She smiled. "Honest, boss…I couldn't be more happier for you and Molly…and Sam and Laura….You're like a proper little family and no one deserves it more then you…I really hope you know that."

"I'm not quite sure I believe I deserve it but there's no doubt in my mind that this is exactly what I want."

Georgie brushed away a few stray tears that rolled down her face. "He'd be over the moon for you….You know that right? He'd be telling you it's about time and that Elvis is a great name for a kid."

Charles laughed and gave her another hug. "I know he would be."

Georgie stepped away and stood beside Maisy as they watched him move back to Molly's side, both of them laughing at something Brains was saying.

"God, look at them…He's so loved up." Maisy commented, as Molly leaned back against him and he pressed a kiss to her temple. She then pulled a face of mild disgust. "We're never getting him back, are we?"

"Don't start that again." Kingy said warningly. "Come on, let's have a toast."

He waited until everyone picked up their drinks and turned towards him.

"To the Bossman….Mrs Bossman….And baby James."

"Shouldn't that be boss baby?" Monk questioned.

"Aw! I love that film!" Rab claimed.

"Nah, baby James…I like that." Charles cut in, looking down at Molly and grinned.

"To Baby James!" They all cheered, clinking their glasses together.

Much later in the evening, Charles walked back into the living room after calling his parents' house to say goodnight to the kids.

"Hey, boss…We were thinking…" Maisy said when she noticed him re-enter the room.

"Oh god." He groaned. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You said the baby wasn't due for six months, right?" She questioned.

"Yes…." He said hesitantly.

"Well, our next tour will only be 8 weeks to Latvia."

"You would be back a month before the kid gets here." Monk added.

Charles sighed. "I appreciate it, I really do but…"

"Just think about it…"

Charles glanced over his shoulder to where he could just about hear Molly talking to Sam on the phone in the kitchen. He closed the living room door quietly and took a seat in the arm chair, facing them all. Kingy was in the arm chair across from him. Rab, Maisy and Monk squeezed on the sofa while Fingers, Brains and Georgie were sat on the floor in front of him, where the coffee table normally was.

"Okay, guys…listen up." He started, making sure he had all their attention before continuing. "I know you all know I struggled after what happened in Afghanistan…"

"Boss, you don't have to do this…" Kingy cut in guessing where he was going.

"It's okay." Charles gave him a brief smile. "I haven't exactly been shouting this from the roof tops and I'm guessing you may have worked it out already but after the funeral, I spoke with Major Beck and told him I needed some help… I saw a doctor and was diagnosed with PTSD."

There was silence in the room but no one looked surprised so Charles knew he was right about them figuring it out for themselves.

"That tour… It was a mess from the start and it's really made me doubt myself and my abilities as a captain…"

"You are a good captain…It's why we want you back!" Rab claimed.

"But only when you're ready…" Georgie stated.

"Wouldn't being on tour help?" Maisy asked. "You know, getting back out there…."

"It's not quite the simple, Richards." Kingy told her.

"It helped Georgie."

"Not everyone is the same." Georgie replied.

"But Latvia won't be the same as Afghan…Maybe Maisy is right and it would help." Monk suggested.

"You two are very quiet." Georgie looked over at Fingers and Brains. Everyone wanted Captain James back, especially the two longest members of 2 Section.

They looked at each other briefly, Fingers shrugged slightly and Brains looked down.

"They noticed…" Charles gave the two of them a small smile. "Before we even got to Afghanistan they saw the signs."

"I just knew that something wasn't right." Fingers replied. "I didn't know what but you seemed different."

"It was that bloody goat." Brains ran a hand over his hair. "I thought it might have reminded you of the bridge…it reminded me of the bridge."

"What? The one I rescued?" Maisy looked confused. "I didn't think you were angry about that, boss."

"I wasn't and it wasn't the goat…" Charles shook his head. "At least it wasn't just that or even the start…it was being away from home…all the aftershocks … I felt completely out of control…I didn't know when there was going to be an aftershock…couldn't see them...Just like I didn't see the snipper that took out Geraint Smith until it was too late…just like I didn't see Badrai until it was too late… Just like I didn't see Smurf deteriorating until it was too late..."

"Boss, you don't have to tell us all of this…" Kingy said softly.

"It's fine…I want to talk about it…I'm not ashamed." Charles claimed. "When we left Nepal for Afghan, I actually felt calmer…I knew the country…I knew who the enemy were…I knew what to expect…Working with Azizi again…and Elvis turning up just helped me relax…lowered my guard."

"Well, if it wasn't for Azizi…"

"Richards." Kingy cut her off, shaking his head slightly to tell her not to continue.

"What?" She shrugged, looking between her captain and sergeant. "He was a traitor."

Charles ran a hand over his head, gripping the hair at the back as he felt his whole body tense up.

"He wasn't always a traitor." Brains spoke up, shooting the boss a concerned look. "We did our first tour with him…He was a good guy then…"

"Yeah…the key word being 'then'…" Maisy muttered.

"Look, I'll never forgive Azizi for what he did…he put all our lives at risk and if that first mission had been a success then we wouldn't have gone on the second one and Elvis…" He trailed off, glancing guiltily at Georgie for a second before looking back to the others. "I've done 5 tours of Afghan and Azizi was there every one of them… On my first tour, he taught me about the country…the true side of it that wasn't torn apart by war….On my third…the first time I lost one of my men, he was the one sat with me after my CO ripped me apart for disobeying orders...on the fourth, he supported me even though he thought I had lost my mind when I woke him and Major Beck up in the middle of night demanding social services get involved in getting a local girl away from her family just because I wanted to impress someone…. The Azizi on that last tour wasn't the one I knew… He lost his way… could not see what the point was anymore….and as much as I hate him for it, I can hardly blame him when I felt a similar way…."

"You didn't turn into the enemy though, Boss." Fingers stated. "You didn't kill people…"

 _Geraint, Smurf, Elvis…_

The names were on the tip of his tongue to disagree with him but instead took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly and clenched his fist tightly together as he tried to remember what his doctor had told him. He didn't shoot Geraint, he was the one who risked everything to try and save him….He didn't kill Smurf; his brain was bleeding, the doctors didn't even see it…why would he? He wasn't the cause of Elvis' death; there was no way of knowing that there was a bomb on the roof…Elvis wouldn't have listened to him if he tried to stop him anyway.

"Boss?"

He forced himself to focus back on the group in front of him. "The fact is, I didn't get PTSD because of Elvis or Azizi…nor because of what happened on that bridge with Badrai…At least it wasn't just one of those things…I've seen too much… lost too many people….I need a break."

"We understand, Sir." Kingy told him and looked around the room. "Don't we?"

"But you're doing better, right?" Rab questioned.

"I am." He answered, honestly. "It's taken a while but after admitting something was wrong then seeing the right doctors and listening and talking to the people who care about me the most, I'm getting there."

Georgie reached over and squeezed his hand. "That's really good to hear, boss."

"And as much as I do miss being a part of 2 Section and even going on tour, I'm not ready." He told them. "Not only would I be putting myself at risk but all of you too…"

"I'd rather take that risk then spend another tour with Peters…." Maisy muttered, causing Georgie to dig her in the ribs.

"Plus I couldn't do that to Molly and the kids…" Charles continued, either not hearing what she said or choosing to ignore it. "They have had a rough time too and we are finally on the right path… I can't put Sam and Laura through me going on another tour and with the baby on the way; it's not fair on Molly."

"Honestly, boss…" Kingy cut in. "You don't have to explain yourself to us…we're happy for you and Molly."

"Yeah, I mean 2 Section doesn't really feel like 2 Section without you, Sir but we understand." Brains added.

"What we've all been through…the people we've lost…It's bonded us together and not just the people in this room…Kinders and Nudenut haven't been with us for the last 4 years but they're still in contact…Same with Dangleberries… and Mansfield isn't even in the army anymore but you never exclude him from anything…"

"Yeah, well…would hate to think the poor sap sat up in Mansfield all on his own…" Fingers quipped.

Charles' lips quirked up in a brief smile. "What I'm trying to say is that you can all come to me if you need help…no matter what…day or night….It doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, we will always be a part of 2 Section… We've become a family and nothing is going to change that but people move on…some of you will move to another section…some will get promoted…You may even decide to give civvie street ago…We'll still be a family…We'll still be there for each other…I'll still be for there any of you."

Silence fell over the room as they all begun to accept that their Captain was probably never going to return.

"Hey, can we all get matching tattoos like the SF guys?" Rab asked hopefully.

"No." Charles answered without missing a beat.

Kingy laughed softly. "So, you planning on staying where you are for the time being then, boss?"

"Yep, putting the new recruits through their paces…" He replied. "But more importantly being a husband and dad."

Molly entered the room, smiling widely but it slowly disappeared when she sensed the atmosphere.

"What? What happened?"

"Nothing…" Charles smiled at her, reaching out to take her hand.

"Everything is fine." Brains added. "We were just telling the Bossman how happy we are for you both."

"Really?" She asked, doubtfully as Charles pulled her down onto his lap.

"Yeah of course…and with all us Uncles around, no one is ever going to mess with that kid." Fingers promised.

"Oi and Aunts!" Georgie claimed.

"Hey, we should facetime the others…Mansfield and that." Brains suggested, thinking about what the boss had said about 2 Section always sticking together. "Tell them the good news."

"You do realize it's actually our news to tell, right?" Molly questioned but Fingers was already pulling out his phone.

"Come on, you can't leave them out…" Fingers ignored her.

Kingy watched Georgie as she quietly stood up and left the room. After a few seconds, he followed her out and found her in the hall staring at a photo on the wall of a younger Charles and Elvis in their uniforms. "You okay, Lane?"

"Yeah you know…" She shrugged before sighing and continuing. "I just can't help but think of the what ifs…. If Elvis was still alive? Would the Boss really be taking a step back from active duty? Since Afghan, he keeps reminding me that Elvis would want me to be happy and carry on living and I know Elvis would want that for him too but I can't help but wonder if this is what he really wants…"

She knew Elvis would hate it if the boss gave up because of him and would be disappointed in her if she let it happen.

"It is, Georgie." Kingy assured her. "It was already in the works before Nepal."

She frowned a little. "What?"

"You heard what he said… he was already having a hard time before that tour….I think deep down he knew he needed a break." Kingy told her.

"He always seemed to live to be on tour."

"Yeah, well he's got a lot going on at home right now." Kingy shrugged. "And it's not like he's walking away completely…He just wants to spend some more time with his family…we can't blame him for that."

"No…" She said quietly. "I just… Maybe that's what I need to do too."

"Spend time with your family?"

"Maybe…I don't know." She sighed, fingering the engagement ring around her neck.

"Georgie, you got to do what's right for you." Kingy advised.

Georgie gave him a small smile. "I guess I don't know what the right thing to do is."

"Like the boss said, you got to talk and listen to the people who care about you the most and let the right people help you." Kingy stated. "I know Captain James would be there to help you and of course, you can always come to me…anytime."

"Thanks, Kingy." She took a deep breath. "We better get back in there."

When they joined the others, they saw Fingers crouched down beside Molly and Charles talking to Mansfield on Facetime, trying to get him to guess what their news was. The fact that Fingers was acting like he was a part of it, was confusing the ex-private and the guesses Mansfield were saying had both Charles and Molly laughing out loud.

"I just want to ask him…"

"Ask who what?" Kingy asked Maisy warily.

"The boss…"

"Just leave it alone, Richards." Kingy told her.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask him…"

"We don't need too…You're like a kid or an old person who always says something loud and inappropriate in a public place." Georgie said teasingly.

Maisy pulled a face at her. "I just wanna know if it worked."

"If what worked?"

"About him getting Afghan social services involved in some girl just to impress someone…"

"I'd say so." Brains smirked and nodded his head towards the couple who had finally took pity on Mansfield and revealed their secret. "She married him…"

 _ **XxXxX**_

He was surprised when he stepped into Laura's bedroom and found her bed empty. When he checked Sam's room, he panic slightly when that was empty too but then he heard whispers coming from his and Molly's room.

Quietly making his way down the hall, he gently pushed the door open and peered inside to see Sam and Laura leaning over the Moses basket where their 2 day old sister slept.

"Shhh, don't wake her up." Sam hissed.

"I haven't…" Laura replied. "She's so little…"

"You used to be like that."

"I didn't…"

"You did…I remember." Sam claimed.

Charles couldn't help but smile as he leaned against the doorframe. He glanced behind him when he heard footsteps on the stairs and saw his wife appear. He brought a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to stay quiet and nodded head his towards their bedroom. She slowly and carefully made her way to join him.

"Why isn't she doing anything?" Laura looked up at Sam.

"Cos she's a baby." Sam shrugged. "Babies don't do anything."

"Then why was everyone so excited about her being here."

"Well, she'll learn to do things."

"Like what?"

"Like talking and walking and eating…"

"Oh…does she have to go to school?"

"No, she's too little."

"Who will teach her then?"

"Dad and Molly." Sam answered. "And us…"

"Oh…Is that because she's our little sister?"

"Yep." Sam replied.

"Do we have to look after her?"

"Don't worry, I'm the big brother…I'll look after you both." Sam told her, causing her to grin widely at him.

Molly looked up at her husband with tears in her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"She looks like Daddy." Laura whispered.

"She looks like a baby." Sam replied and reached out to stop Laura from touching their sister. "Don't wake her."

"I'm being gentle like mummy showed me." Laura argued.

"Shhh!" Sam told her when the baby started to stir.

"Guys…" Charles whispered, stepping into the room causing them both to spin around to look at him. "I think it's time for bed."

"We were just looking at her." Laura told them.

"Its okay, Beautiful." Molly glanced at the baby who was starting to wake up, knowing she would need a feed soon. "But it's time to say goodnight now."

Sam leaned down into the Moses basket, pressing a gentle kiss on his baby sister's head before Laura copied him.

"Night."

"Night, Scamp…" Charles ruffled his hair as he passed him on his way out.

"Good night, Daddy." Laura wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Sleep well." He bent down to give her a kiss.

"Come on…I'll tuck you in." Molly held a hand out for Laura.

Charles moved towards his new-born daughter when her whimpers got louder. Scooping her up, he held her close to his chest.

"Shh, shh…Its okay…" He rocked her gently.

He sat down on the end of the bed, moving to cradle her in his arms. She squirmed for a moment before settling down and blinked up at him.

"Well, Hannah Sophia James...Only 2 days old and looks like you got the whole family wrapped around your little finger." He stroked a finger down her cheek and smiled softly.

Both his parents and the Dawes family had met her and they were all convinced she looked like him but all he could see was Molly.

"She okay?" His wife asked quietly as she walked towards him.

"Yeah, she's content at the moment." He smiled at her.

Molly sat beside him, linking her arms through one of his and rested her chin on his shoulder to look down at their daughter.

"I can't believe how good she's being."

"Don't fall for it…she's lulling us into a false sense of security… When we lower our guard, she'll start screaming blue murder." Charles stated. "She is your daughter after all."

"Oi! If you wasn't holding my baby…"

"Our baby." He corrected.

"We'll see about that…" She replied with a yawn.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"I'm fine…Just a little sore." She told him, moving to rest her cheek against his chest when he wrapped an arm around her. "She'll want feeding soon."

"She's happy for the moment…why don't you go get a shower first then after she's been fed we can both get some sleep." He suggested. "I got a feeling we're going to need all the rest we can get."

"That's a good idea." She said quietly, her eyes not leaving Hannah and she made no move to get up.

He looked away from his daughter and frowned a little in concern when he saw tears in her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, looking up at him. "Just ignore me…It's all them bleedin hormones."

"Have I told you how amazing you are?" He pulled her closer to him. "How much I love you?"

She cupped his cheek gently, her thumb tracing a small pattern before leaning up and pressing her lips to his.

"Ditto."

 **The End**

 **So, that's it! All Done! Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know!**

 **I have got a ton of idea for new starts running my head but for now it's back to working on A Different Mission….I'm missing writing Charles/Elvis bromance!**


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